Nottingham Forest aiming to hijack deal for "phenomenon" promoted striker
Nottingham Forest aiming to hijack deal for "phenomenon" promoted striker
The summer transfer window officially opened for business on Friday and Nottingham Forest will hope to be active yet again as they look to bolster their squad. Nuno Espirito Santo will want to dip into the market to make additions to strengthen his options across the park ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign.
Indeed, they are reportedly interested in a deal to sign central defender David Carmo from Portuguese giants Porto and have been linked with a swoop for Hoffenheim attacker Maximilian Beier.
Whilst they could look to splash millions on new signings to add more quality to the group, they are also said to be eyeing up a deal to snap up a striker on a free transfer this summer.
Nottingham Forest's interest in promotion-winning star
According to Football Insider, Forest are one of the clubs keen on a swoop to sign Scotland international Che Adams from Southampton next month.
The report claims that they are aiming to hijack Wolverhampton Wanderers' move for the former Birmingham marksman, who is set to become a free agent at the end of June.
It states that Wolves have already put a contract offer on the table for the Scotland striker and are said to be leading the race to secure his signature at this moment in time.
Southampton are also attempting to pin him down to an extended deal, after they won promotion to the Premier League, but face competition from their top-flight rivals.
Football Insider adds that Forest are now 'racing' to sign the Scottish centre-forward ahead of their Midlands rivals, as they attempt to usurp Wolves and bring the attacker to the City Ground.
The outlet states that the Tricky Trees want to add a new number nine to their squad as they only scored 49 goals in their 38 league matches this season, the fourth-lowest tally in the division.
Why Nottingham Forest should sign Che Adams
Firstly, Adams potentially being a free agent in July makes him an ideal target for the club as it means that they would not have to splash out a transfer fee to land him. That could make the 27-year-old forward a bargain signing for Nuno this summer, particularly when you consider his form in front of goal this term.
Adams, who scored 17 goals in all competitions for the Saints this season, would also arrive at the City Ground off the back of an impressive year in the second tier.
As you can see in the table above, the Southampton marksman scored an outstanding 16 goals from just 25 starts and outscored his xG tally by just over four goals. He could also be an excellent addition for the club due to his prior experience in the Premier League with the South Coast outfit in recent years.
The Scotland international, who started the opening game of the 2024 Euros against Germany on Friday night, scored 25 goals and provided 13 assists in four seasons in the top-flight with Southampton before their relegation in 2023.
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The Reds aren't alone in the race to sign the 16-goal forward.
Adams was once described as a "ketchup bottle phenomenon" by former boss Ralph Hasenhuttl for scoring his goals in bunches, but his form during the 2023/24 campaign suggests that there is a consistent finisher to be unearthed at Premier League level given his overperformance on xG.