Newcastle United winger Ryan Fraser is facing an uncertain future at St James' Park, amid reports that the Scotland international is attracting interest ahead of the January transfer window.
What's the word?
According to The Chronicle, the 28-year-old has caught the attention of a number of clubs both in the Premier League and in the Championship as the winter window approaches, with all of those suitors seemingly based further south.
The former Bournemouth man had opted to leave the Vitality Stadium on a free transfer back in the summer of 2020 in order to join then-Magpies boss Steve Bruce at St James' Park, with the suggestion being that he could well return nearer to his former home.
As per the report, manager Eddie Howe has acknowledged what has been an underwhelming campaign thus far for the 26-cap speedster, with the Englishman - who coached the forward during his time with the Cherries - stating: "This season’s been difficult, because of the performances of the players in the squad have really produced that competition for places."
Time to go
The pacy wide man has largely been on the periphery amid the Tynesiders' stunning start to the season, with the £42k-per-week man having featured in just eight of his side's 15 top-flight games, with only three of those outings coming from the start.
With Miguel Almiron currently starring on the right wing - the Paraguayan having scored eight times this season - it has ensured that there is a real scrap for a starting berth on the opposite flank, with Fraser, Jacob Murphy and Allan Saint-Maximin all in contention to take on that role.
That competition could seemingly intensify amid reports that the northeast side are plotting to add yet another winger to their ranks in the near future, with Shakhtar Donetsk's Mykhaylo Mudryk and Bayer Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby just two of the names to have been linked with a move.
With Fraser already on the fringes, another acquisition in his position could well be the final straw, with the diminutive gem having rarely made an impact during his time at Newcastle thus far, scoring just three goals and laying on only six assists in 59 games across all fronts to date.
The Aberdeen-born dud endured a "frustrating" start to life at the club, in the words of the aforementioned Bruce, after regularly being struck down with injury in his debut campaign, having seemingly never truly recovered from that point after failing to become a regular fixture in the side.
This apparent interest in his services could well prove to be an ideal chance for Howe to ruthlessly ditch the 5 foot 4 forward, with it simply a move that hasn't worked for either party so far.