Claudio Yacob could be about to leave Nottingham Forest and head to Uruguay, according to Urugol.
Top-flight outfit Nacional are set to offer the midfielder a City Ground escape route and a deal could happen before the window closes.
The 32-year-old hasn’t played for Forest since the 27th April when the Reds won 1-0 at Queens Park Rangers.
He found himself largely out of favour under Martin O’Neill, despite taking the captain’s armband for his first game in charge.
After signing in September 2018, Yacob managed just 17 appearances for Forest, despite offering some promise whenever he played.
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The defensive midfield player arrived on the back of 175 appearances for West Brom and on a free transfer, it looked a decent signing.
For whatever reason, however, things just haven’t worked out.
When Sabri Lamouchi arrived it was thought that he might feature more prominently but that hasn’t been the case at all.
He has failed to make a single squad under the Frenchman and hasn’t even been training with the first-team.
Yacob is one of a clutch of outcasts who could leave this month. Zach Clough, Liam Bridcutt, Michael Hefele, Yohan Benalouane and Costel Pantilimon may also be allowed to depart.
The report claims that Nacional will take Yacob on loan for a season before signing him permanently when his contract ends in the summer.
Nottingham Forest News View – Does Yacob situation indicate a clear lack of application?
Players like Yacob aren’t usually cast aside and there must be a clear issue away from his ability on a football field.
During his 17 appearances for the club, he has done a job and on the face of things, his omission does look odd.
This season Ben Watson’s form has quite simply been so good that he hasn’t stood a chance of getting in the team.
When Samba Sow and Alfa Semedo were both injured earlier in the season, however, it seems odd that Yacob wasn’t handed a reprieve.
Perhaps Lamouchi hasn’t been impressed with his application since he was utilised on a pre-season tour and has chosen to go with other players.
Another factor is that perhaps he doesn’t suit the manager’s style of play.
Watson is very much the half-back in Forest’s team and has proved undroppable this season.
Playing Yacob in one of the box-to-box roles isn’t really his game and that probably hasn’t helped his case either.
Fans will speculate over Yacob forever more but offloading him looks like a good move for all parties.