Queens Park Rangers are currently engaged in negotiations with Championship rivals Bristol City over the potential signing of midfielder Kasey Palmer, according to Bristol Live's Gregor MacGregor.
The 25-year-old has only made six appearances for Nigel Pearson's men during the 2021/22 campaign so far, failing to force his way back into the ex-Leicester City manager's plans at Ashton Gate, with the 58-year-old even accusing the midfielder of not training well enough at the end of October.
Although previous fellow outcast Zak Vyner has been able to force his way back into contention, Palmer hasn't amid competition from the likes of the prolific Andi Weimann and 18-year-old Alex Scott, with the latter stepping up exceptionally to become one of the Robins' best talents.
This lack of game time has alerted Mark Warburton's men to the ex-Chelsea youngster's services, with Ilias Chair set to depart with Morocco for this month's African Cup of Nations and the west London outfit often operating with two advanced midfielders.
That could enable Palmer to play more regularly in the second tier and rediscover his mojo with Huddersfield Town's 2017 promotion-winning season on his CV - and a fresh start may be what he needs after falling out of favour at his current club.
The R's are also thought to be closing in on the signing of AFC Bournemouth centre-back Steve Cook, with the promotion-chasing side seemingly keen to get their business done early as they look to force their way back into the top six.
They currently sit seventh in the table, although they do have two games in hand over sixth-placed Huddersfield going into tomorrow's clash against Birmingham City.
The Verdict:
With the Robins open to selling him to fund a move for a forward, this could be the perfect opportunity for QPR to strike a cut-price deal for his services, something that could pay dividends for the long term with Palmer only 25 at this stage and having plenty of time to improve.
He would also be likely to take to the advanced midfield role like a duck to water alongside Chris Willock, especially after being used to moving around the country over the years as ex-side Chelsea sent him out on numerous loan spells.
His fresh start at Bristol City on a permanent deal back in 2019 gave him the new beginning he needed - and a move to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium could provide the same breath of fresh air for the midfield as his career threatens to stall.
This could work out for the best for QPR too, interested in recruiting two players in Cook and Palmer that have fallen out of favour at their current clubs.
Someone more cynical would say they have fallen out of favour for a reason - but it will provide no shortage of motivation for both to do well if they make the move to west London - something that's a real possibility with the Bournemouth defender edging closer to his arrival.