It's no coincidence that Kasper Schmeichel was dropped for Leicester's game against Watford on Sunday following uncertainty surrounding his future, according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook.
The 80-cap Denmark goalkeeper has been with the Foxes for 11 years, but he's been linked with a move away from the King Power Stadium with just 12 months remaining on his current contract.
What's the latest news involving Schmeichel?
Schmeichel was ever-present in the Premier League season heading into the weekend trip to the Hornets but he was surprisingly left on the bench by Brendan Rodgers as the Foxes manager handed a first top-flight appearance to backup keeper Danny Ward since the 2015-2016 campaign.
It also ended Schmeichel's run of 149 league starts on the bounce, dating back to when he missed the final few fixtures at the end of the 2017-2018 season.
But with Leicester unable to qualify for Europe or get relegated, it appeared a case of Rogers giving squad players a rare opportunity for game-time with little up for grabs.
However, with talkSPORT recently reporting that Schmeichel could exit the King Power Stadium this summer, Crook doesn't think that his exclusion from the side was a major surprise.
What did Crook say about Schmeichel?
When asked whether being dropped for the Watford game could have anything to do with being linked away, he told GIVEMESPORT: "I don't think it's a coincidence. He's spoken publicly and privately about the fact he wants to play in Europe, ideally he wants to play in the Champions League.
"He's in the last year of his contract and there are plans to sit him down and talk to him at the end of the season about what he wants to do."
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Who's been linked with Schmeichel?
According to talkSPORT, the experienced goalkeeper wants to play European football next season, which won't happen at Leicester after they missed the chance to qualify for the Europa League following their Conference League semi-final exit to Roma earlier this month.
Playing European football with a team in England would leave the 35-year-old with limited choices. Only the traditional top-six and West Ham have qualified for Europe, although the report states that Newcastle are 'keen' on his services, while a foreign move is not completely out of the question.
However, Schmeichel is expected to sit down with the Leicester hierarchy and discuss the next steps before making a final decision on his future.