SWINDON Town are expected to formally announce the departure of Nile Ranger this week.

The striker, whose regular absences from training have led Town to the point of no return, is understood to be in line to have his contract cancelled imminently.

The Advertiser understands the club will part ways with the former Newcastle forward by mutual consent, with Swindon not having to hand over severance pay to the 22-year-old.

Scheduled talks with the player’s representatives and the PFA were postponed last Thursday and had been due to take place today,but it is believed that the respective parties have tried to come to an agreement prior to the meeting.

With Nicky Ajose having returned to Peterborough from his loan spell and Miles Storey out injured, manager Mark Cooper has limited striking options ahead of this weekend’s visit of Posh.

Town are believed to be looking at Brighton’s George Barker as a potential signing, but Cooper is not about to make any knee-jerk reactions in the transfer market.

“It’s pretty quiet at the moment. It’s well-documented that we’re not going to go out and spend loads of money on someone that’s not right or it’s a rush,” he told the local press on Monday. “We’re going to take our time and make sure, if we do get one, it’s the right type.

“It can mean that some clubs are not ready to loan their players out just yet or it could mean somebody has been on loan and they want to have another look at them before they decide whether to send them back out. There are a lot of contributing factors and we’re waiting for everything to come together.

“We know what we’re looking for and it’s just a question of the timing and making sure the players are available.

“There is no set agenda where we have to wait. We could get a phone call and it could get done this afternoon. We’re very realistic about it and we’d like to get one in before Saturday of course but we’re not going to sign somebody for the sake of it.

“I wouldn’t say it’s desperate but we need a centre forward, everybody will tell you that at the football club.“We’re actively looking and trying to get one in before the weekend.”