Norwich City midfielder Pierre Lees-Melou is close to sealing a permanent departure from the club, according to a report from French news outlet Le Telegramme.
It is understood that Ligue 1 side Stade Brestois are set to sign Lees-Melou on a three-year deal.
As per The Telegraph journalist John Percy, Norwich are set to receive a fee believed to be in the region of £3.5m for Lees-Melou who is set to undergo a medical in France tomorrow.
The Canaries will be looking to recruit a replacement for the 29-year-old between now and the end of the transfer window.
Lees-Melou featured in Ligue 1 for Nice before making the move to Carrow Road last year.
Having provided 34 direct goal contributions during his spell with Nice, the midfielder would have been hoping to deliver the goods for Norwich in the Premier League last season.
However, Lees-Melou only managed to show glimpses of his ability in this division as Norwich suffered relegation to the second-tier.
In the 33 league games that he participated in for Norwich in the previous term, the midfielder scored one goal and provided one assist.
Norwich have already bolstered their options in the heart of midfield by signing Gabriel Sara and Isaac Hayden this summer.
Whereas Hayden is expected to miss the start of the season due to an issue with his knee, Sara could potentially play a role for the club in their opening league fixtures if he makes progress in terms of his road to recovery from injury.
The Verdict
When you consider that Stade Brestois are able to provide Lees-Melou with the opportunity to play in France's top-flight division again, it is hardly a surprise that he is seemingly set to complete a move to the club.
Having never featured in the Championship during his career, the midfielder may have gone on to struggle with the competitiveness of this division if he had opted to stay at Norwich for the 2022/23 campaign.
A lack of consistency last season resulted in Lees-Melou averaging a relatively underwhelming WhoScored match rating of 6.48 in the Premier League.
Norwich may not necessarily miss Lees-Melou next season if the current members of their squad are able to produce some impressive performances in the coming months.