Championship outfit Birmingham City are unlikely to recruit current loanee Lyle Taylor in the summer due to the size of his current wage, according to The Athletic.

The 32-year-old has been a useful asset to the West Midlands side since his arrival, scoring five goals in 13 matches before their match against Blackburn Rovers but he is set to return to parent club Nottingham Forest at the end of the season.

Although loanee Keinan Davis is heading back to Aston Villa, a permanent agreement could be in the offing for his services and with Sam Surridge also available following his arrival in January, Forest may deem Taylor as surplus to requirements once again this summer.

However, his contract at the City Ground doesn't expire until the summer of 2023 and this means an interested side may be forced into paying a transfer fee if they want to recruit the Montserrat international.

For a side that have mainly recruited free agents and loanees in the past two windows, with only Juninho Bacuna arriving for a fee, it's currently unclear whether Birmingham's board would sanction a permanent approach for the forward.

But it's his wages that will prove to be the problem according to The Athletic, who say a move is "unlikely" because the second-tier side wouldn't be able to satisfy his salary demands.

The Verdict:

This is a shame for Birmingham - but considering he's 32 and the club want to recruit younger players - they may not see this likely departure as a huge loss like some of their supporters will after watching him shine.

If he doesn't come back, a proven forward with second-tier experience and goalscoring pedigree needs to come in to fill this void because they have been disappointing at times going forward this season despite the attacking options they have at their disposal.

Troy Deeney and Scott Hogan will be good options to have again next year if they stay, but two more forwards may be required to provide them with the attacking firepower needed to escape any relegation danger next year.

Looking at this situation from Forest's point of view, they may be willing to let Taylor go for free if that means they can get a better alternative to replace him, especially if they are promoted to the Premier League.

This could enable Lee Bowyer's side to offer him a better wage package because they wouldn't be spending a fee on him - but whether they could lure him to St Andrew's for the long term remains to be seen.