Premier League side Burnley are weighing up a potential move for Reading striker Andy Carroll, according to the Daily Mail.
The 33-year-old has been at the Select Car Leasing Stadium since the middle of November as he finally managed to find a new club following his release from Newcastle United in the summer.
Despite Covid-19 postponements preventing the former England international from playing more games up until this point, he has made a respectable seven appearances for the Royals, starting six and becoming an integral part of the Berkshire club's side during his short stay at the club.
However, the striker only put pen to paper on a short-term deal and with his contract coming to an end after Veljko Paunovic's side's tie away to Middlesbrough at the weekend, top-tier outfit Burnley are now considering Carroll as a potential replacement for Chris Wood, who officially linked up with fellow relegation battlers Newcastle United yesterday.
This has left a huge void in Sean Dyche's side - and the current Reading forward may now be on his way to Turf Moor as he looks to revive his career following his second spell at St James' Park.
He has only scored one goal for the second-tier side in his seven displays for them, but reinforced his importance to Paunovic's men when he provided the knock-down for Junior Hoilett to open the scoring against Derby County earlier this month.
The Royals have offered him the 'best possible' contract to extend his stay in Berkshire according to their manager, though the 33-year-old's stance on his future remains unclear.
The Verdict:
Tuesday night's result against Fulham wouldn't have done Reading any favours in their quest to keep the 33-year-old until the end of the season, something they will need to do to give themselves the best possible chance of survival if they can't bring a replacement in.
Despite his stay at the Select Car Leasing Stadium being a short one, he has already had a profound impact on the club's style of play, providing Paunovic's side with a real outlet and being unlucky not to get on the scoresheet more than once.
Not only did he have two excellent goals disallowed against the Cottagers, but he was only denied by a fantastic save from Ryan Allsop against Derby County as he was prevented from opening the scoring in that match.
He has had a lack of meaningful service at times - but he's still shown he can be a force in the top flight - and Burnley's top-flight status and financial power may just prove to be crucial in who wins the race for his signature.
This is why fans of his current side should be bracing themselves for his potential exit - and not only that - but the recruitment team will need to get busy and put together a list of targets in the event that he does make the move north.