Brighton & Hove Albion
Tau linked with Belgian loan return with Brugge
Brighton forward Percy Tau is set to leave the club on another season-long loan deal with Club Brugge thought to be leading the chase.
The Seagulls are poised to loan the 25-year-old out again as they look like being unable to get a work permit for the South Africa international this summer.
They tried and failed to persuade the UK Home Office to issue a permit when he arrived from Mamelodi Sundowns ahead of last season and had to send him on loan to Belgian second division outfit Union Saint-Gilloise to get some football.
Tau shone during his spell, winning the award for the best player in the league with 13 goals and 13 assists in all competitions.
And his performances at the AFCON finals in Egypt won't have gone unnoticed either as he helped Bafana Bafana reach the quarter-finals, where they went out 2-1 against Nigeria.
Amiens in France and Belgian side Royal Antwerp were both thought to be vying for Tau's signature this summer, but reports claim Antwerp's Jupiler Pro League rivals Brugge are now frontrunners.
Albion will only sanction a loan switch for Tau as the club remain hopeful that they will persuade the UK authorities to issue a work permit in the future.
Craig Smithson is a journalist with over two decades of experience at the keyboard. A life-long Middlesbrough fan, Craig has an in-depth knowledge of all football and is also a keen fan of boxing amongst other sports.