Nottingham Forest are closing in on the signing of Switzerland international Loris Benito, according to Football Insider.
The Reds have been running the rule over the 29-year-old and now look set to offer him a contract until the end of the season.
Forest’s squad has been left unbalanced with injuries in recent weeks.
Max Lowe will be missing for a couple of months, leaving Gaetan Bong as the only natural left-back in Cooper’s squad.
Jack Colback has played there in recent weeks but Forest miss his presence in midfield when he has to perform makeshift duties.
Benito has been without a club since leaving Bordeaux back in August.
He made 59 appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit and also has experience playing for Young Boys, Bordeaux and Benfica during his career.
Benito typically operates as a left-back but he can also do a job at centre-back or on the left-wing.
The 13-cap Switzerland performer was part of his country’s squad as they reached the quarter-final of Euro 2020 in the summer.
He did manage just five minutes of football in the tournament but was on the bench as Switzerland knocked France out.
The report claims that Forest are now in advanced talks to land Benito.
Intriguing: Benito could be ideal Forest signing
There could be some cynics out in force when this deal is announced and given Forest’s record with overseas signings that might be understandable.
Benito looks like a useful addition to the ranks though.
With the games set to come thick and fast over a busy winter period, Forest would welcome another left-sided defender.
The Switzerland player is experienced and can do a good job in a number of positions.
That makes his signing a bit of a no-brainer and it’ll be interesting to see how much Benito features for Forest.