Swansea City manager Russell Martin has admitted he doesn't see a place for Stoke City midfielder Joe Allen in his first-team squad in the short term, making this admission to BBC Sport Wales.
The 32-year-old faces an uncertain future with his contract at the bet365 Stadium set to expire this summer and the Welshman is yet to secure a fresh agreement to extend his stay beyond then.
However, he is expected to be offered a new deal by Michael O'Neill's side and is thought to be keen on remaining at his current club, despite previous reports that he wanted to move closer to his home nation, potentially putting the likes of Cardiff City and Swansea on high alert.
The latter were thought to be interested in a potential move for their former midfielder, who moved on from the Swansea.com Stadium in 2012 as he joined Liverpool, before joining Stoke four years later.
Korey Smith is confirmed to be leaving the club on the expiration of his current deal in under two months and this could potentially open up a slot for 32-year-old Allen to arrive in South Wales.
However, Martin has admitted the Welshman may have to wait if he wants to return to his former side.
He said: "I don't think there's a gap in the squad for Joe Allen.
"There may be a gap in the squad [in the future] and he is one person who we would definitely be interested in to fill it.
"But at the moment I think it would be a difficult one. It's whether we can interest Joe enough to wait."
The Verdict:
It's a surprise that Allen is even being considered as a potential option despite his previous connection to the Swans - because the Welsh side's board will want to buy young players, see them develop and then sell them on.
This isn't something they can do with the 32-year-old, who is on the way down in his career following a reasonably successful time in the Premier League. In fact, they probably wouldn't generate any fee for him in the future if they did bring him in.
However, it could be argued that they still need experienced heads in the dressing room to guide the younger players and with Ben Hamer leaving the club this summer, another experienced player may be needed to fill the void he will leave.
Bradley Johnson did a similar job at Blackburn Rovers during 2021/22, though you would think Allen would play more often than the ex-Leeds United midfielder who made just 18 league appearances under Tony Mowbray this term.
If he does move to the Swansea.com Stadium in 2023 or 2024 though, perhaps his playing time would be limited in favour of younger alternatives who are more valuable financially.