THE arrival of Javi Moreno looks like signalling the end of Mario Jardel's Reebok adventure.
The Brazilian striker was already struggling to force his way into the Premiership side and he is now even further down the pecking order.
There has been no confirmation but Wanderers are understood to have decided to cut their losses by shipping him out.
There has been widespread speculation in the transfer market that the Brazilian could be on the move again but reports in Spain go even further, suggesting Espanyol have agreed a deal subject to the approval of head coach Luis Fernandez.
Real Murcia are also reported to be interested but Turkish club Besiktas have ruled out a move.
They claim Wanderers tried to swap Jardel for their wantaway Egyptian striker Ahmed Hassan but issued a statement on their official website denying any interest and suggesting Hassan would rather bide his time and wait for a summer move to Rangers, which has been on the cards for some time.
Sam Allardyce had high hopes when he signed Jardel from Sporting Lisbon in August on a two-year contract but the manager has made it patently clear with his team selections that he does not consider the two-time Golden Boot winner as the answer to his goalscoring problems.
He had hoped that Jardel, once the most prolific goalscorer in European football, would make a big impact on the Premiership. Although he had a reputation as a problem player after going off the rails when things turned sour for him in Lisbon, the Wanderers' boss praised his attitude and his application as he set about shedding the pounds he had piled on during months of inactivity.
The Reebok backroom staff achieved their first objective by getting him fit, both mentally and physically, but the manager was not convinced he had as much to offer as either Kevin Davies or Henrik Pedersen ... even before he brought in Moreno on loan from Atletico Madrid.
Jardel's three goals have come from three starts in the Carling Cup. His six Premiership appearances have all been as substitute.
Moreno's arrival is also reported to have led to Henrik Pedersen demanding showdown talks with Allardyce.
"I demand a meeting with my manager because I want to hear what is happening right now. I can't understand it," Pedersen is quoted as saying in a Danish tabloid. "I was disappointed not to be in the line-up two games ago but now I'm completely out of the squad."
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