Another twist in quite a twisty season today has seen Nicky Forster put in a transfer request. There are many things that don’t really make sense about this whole episode – he won’t be able to move permanently as the transfer window slammed shut five days ago, he is out of contract anyway come the end of the season, and he is playing on a regular basis and is the clubs leading scorer.

So, just what is Forster playing at? Albion fans will be praying that this is merely a publicity move in order to secure a long-term future at the club. No news has come out of Withdean about discussions over a new deal for the clubs leading forward, despite the fact that Gus Poyet is clearly looking towards his squad for next season following the new contract signed by Adam El Abd and the releasing of David Livermore. Forster may therefore be playing the classic “realise your importance” card by stating to other clubs that he is looking for a team for next season in order to speed up the clubs progress towards getting him tied down to a new deal.

Then there is the scenario whereby he has been offered a contract but it is not what he is looking for. Forster will turn 37 in September, and is obviously heading towards the end of his career. Poyet has been told he needs to get the Albion into the Championship, which is, given this seasons shambles, not going to happen for at least three seasons. By which time Forster will be 40. It is not beyond the realms of fantasy that he is looking for a long-term deal on decent wages that the club do not feel they can justify given his age, the need to look towards having a squad that will be capable of competing at the next level, and the likely deterioration of his ability. Arsenal do not offer longer than one-year deals to players over 30, which has seen them lose the likes of Robert Pires, Sol Campbell and Freddie Ljungberg over the years. If the Albion are taking a similar stance and neither side can come to an agreement over keeping Forster for next season and beyond, then it is hardly surprising that he has announced his intention to move on to the world in order to try and secure a loan move that could become permanent come the end of the season.

The final, worrying scenario maybe that he has become so disillusioned by life at the club that he has decided enough is enough. After helping to fire the team to the brink of the play-off places in his first season at the club as captain, he has since seen the manager who bought him in and had him as the figurehead of a promotion push sacked and replaced by the chairman’s mate, and since then has been involved in two relegation battles. There is no doubt that Forster is, at this moment, far too good a player to be fighting to avoid relegation to the bottom tier of the Football League, and his goalscoring record speaks for itself. Knowing his career is coming to the end, he may fancy one more crack at the Championship, either with a side pushing for promotion from this division or one already playing at that level.

Whatever the reasons, its safe to say that should this transfer request result in a move for Forster, the season is going to take a very definite turn – for the worst. It is his goals that are the main reason we are not in the relegation zone, and to lose them for the remainder of the relegation battle could be the final nail in the Albion’s League One coffin. The club need to do everything in their power to ensure he is here and firing in the goals until the end of the season – if not, then there is a very real chance that Seagull’s fans will be typing Morecambe into sat nav’s for next season.