Chris Wood tipped to leave Newcastle United in loan move to EPL rivals Nottingham Forest

Mike Egerton/PA via AP

Newcastle United’s Chris Wood celebrates scoring against Leicester City.

All Whites striker Chris Wood is reportedly on the brink of a loan move from Newcastle United to English Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest.

English media outlets have reported that Wood is likely to join Forest for the rest of the season to bolster the club’s firepower in their fight to consolidate their Premier League place.

Wood, 31, has scored three goals in 18 appearances for Newcastle this season but has only started four times.

He has been used by Newcastle manager Eddie Howe as a back-up for England World Cup squad striker Callum Wilson, but is now third-choice after Swedish international Alexander Isak’s return to fitness.

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Wood, however, is a proven goalscorer at Premier League, having netted 54 times in 189 top-flight appearances.

Forest – promoted to the Premier League this season – are in 13th place under coach Steve Cooper, but have scored just 15 goals in 19 matches.

But the Nottingham Forest News website said the side “lack a focal point in the absence of Taiwo Awoniyi, however, and signing Wood makes a lot of sense”.

SKY SPORT

Chris Wood makes the most of a rare start with a goal in Newcastle’s 3-0 Premier League win at Leicester.

”The player might not be the most exciting addition to ever join Forest. Right now, however, he’d provide some competition and his Premier League experience could be vital.”

Wood could be the perfect foil for Forest’s young forwards Morgan Gibbs-White and Brennan Johnson.

Awoniyi, a Nigerian international who joined Forest from Bundesliga club Union Berlin, has scored five goals this season but has not played since scoring the winner against Southampton on January 5.

Wood joined Newcastle last January on 2½-year contract on a transfer deal reported to be worth between $40-50 million.

He is contracted to Newcastle until the end of the 2023-24 season, and told the Newcastle Chronicle late last year that he was “100%’’ keen to see out his contract –“especially with the way the clubs is going, I’d love to be here long-term. Or even longer than that.

“I still believe I have a big part to play here. I have not shown my best football here yet but hopefully I can do that given the chance. If not I am here to support the club and push them in the right direction. I am committed here and want to be here.”