TRANSFER TALK | Where next for Lyle Taylor?

It's early days, but the juggernaut that is the January transfer window has already crunched into gear. Playmaker plans to run the rule over those who may be on the move this month...and our first port of call is Charlton's Lyle Taylor.

After failing to agree / sign a new contract with significantly improved terms at the Valley, Lyle Taylor looks destined for pastures new this month.

Although his season with the Addicks has been stop and start due to injury, Taylor has an enviable goal record over recent seasons, and there is likely to be a queue of clubs interested in securing the services of the free-scoring forward. 

The 29-year-old flew out of the blocks in the Championship this season, scoring in five of Charlton's opening six fixtures, as the Addicks reached the heady heights of second place in the table at the start of September.

Taylor's knee and Charlton's luck didn't hold out beyond this fantastic start, though, the Montserrat forward sidelined by injury and the Addicks winning just three of twenty league games since he was ruled out. 

Back among the goals 

On his return to action, Taylor wasted little time getting his name back on the scoresheet: netting his sixth goal of the season at QPR and then bagging another away to Derby two games later. He's a danger and, in fact, Taylor has the second best minutes-per-goal ratio (126 minutes per goal) of any Championship player with 5+ goals this season, only the division's top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic (125 mpg) netting his goals at a faster lick. 

⏱ Best minutes-per-goal ratios in Championship (2019/20; players with +5 goals):

125 mpg: Mitrovic (18G)
126 mpg: 💥 TAYLOR 💥 (7G)
128 mpg: Ward (5G)
123 mpg: Wells (11G)
138 mpg: Watkins (17G)#FFC #CAFC #Bluebirds #QPR #BrentfordFC @lyletaylor90

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) January 8, 2020

Destination unknown

With Taylor's intentions clear, Charlton are looking to part ways with the forward in January to try and generate some form of income, given that his contract expires at the end of this season. 

As mentioned, there is likely to be no shortage of takers and the following clubs have all been strongly linked with Taylor:

• Fulham - Scott Parker is looking to bring in back up for the in-form Mitrovic, with Taylor reportedly high up on the list.
• Nottingham Forest - Sabri Lamouchi's search for a striker is common knowledge, with most available strikers - including Taylor - from both the Premier League and Championship being linked to the Reds.
• West Brom - None of Slaven Bilic's current crop have been able to nail down the centre forward role, with Charlie Austin and Hal Robson Kanu both getting more minutes than Taylor, yet not being able to out-score him.
• Sheffield Wednesday - Steven Fletcher is in need of goal scoring help. The Scot's recent injury has only emphasised the problem at Hillsborough, with Wednesday's next top scorer after Fletcher (12) being Jordan Rhodes, who scored all three of his Championship goals this season in one half of football against Nottingham Forest.
• Brentford - The Bees have finally engineered a gap between themselves and seventh place in the Championship (three points), but worries persist that they may lose some of their young starlets this window. The prospective loss of Bryan Mbeumo, Said Benrahma or top scorer Ollie Watkins could prompt boss Thomas Frank to recruit more firepower. 

In terms of the bookies' favourite to land Taylor, Brentford currently have the shortest odds...let the transfer roulette commence!

🗞 Lyle Taylor looks set to move away from Charlton after contract talks failed. So, where next for a striker who hit 32 goals in 58 games for the Addicks?

⚪ Fulham?
⚪ West Brom?
🔵 Sheffield Wednesday?
🔴 Nottingham Forest?#FFC #WBA #SWFC #NFFC #CAFC @lyletaylor90 pic.twitter.com/fhrbynOUgS

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) January 8, 2020