Nottingham Forest made a January bid of £1.5 million for Barnsley midfielder Callum Styles, according to The Sun.
The Reds did land Sam Surridge and Jonathan Panzo on deadline day but were denied in their efforts to sign Josh Bowler.
Now, it seems as though the Reds also wanted Styles, with Dane Murphy knowing the player from his time at Oakwell.
It’s thought that Forest, Blackburn and New York Red Bulls all offered the £1.5 million being mentioned.
The player, however, wanted to stay in South Yorkshire. Had he kicked up a stink, Forest might have well landed the player.
Styles’ mindset was admirable. He opted to stay put at Oakwell and help the club fight against relegation.
Interestingly, the 21-year-old is set to pledge his international allegiance to Hungary.
He qualifies through his grandmother and he will be named in their squad for games against Serbia and Northern Ireland in March.
Styles has been a revelation since arriving at Barnsley from Bury in 2019.
Last season, he was bang in form as he helped the Tykes take a place in the Championship play-offs.
He has made 109 appearances for the South Yorkshiremen, scoring eight goals and claiming six assists.
Forest have to go back in for Styles during the summer
With Murphy in place as the CEO on Trentside, perhaps Forest have the trump card when it comes to landing Styles.
With Barnsley facing relegation from the Championship, it seems almost certain that the youngster will leave.
Styles is unlikely to cost a fortune, although he will probably command more than the £1.5 million that was touted in January.
The talented performer is exactly the sort of player that could thrive under Steve Cooper.
He plays in a number of positions and works tirelessly hard, boasting a delightful left foot.
Other clubs could come in for Styles, but Forest should place themselves at the front of the queue.