Bournemouth are in pole position to beat Nottingham Forest and sign free agent Joe Rothwell, according to Football Insider.
The Reds had been heavily linked with a move to the City Ground following the expiration of his contract at Blackburn.
Fulham are also in the mix to sign him, with West Brom some way back in the race for his signature.
Forest are yet to strengthen their squad ahead of their maiden season in the Premier League for 23 years.
There is of course plenty of time to go and some players will still be on holiday, whilst others won’t have even been on one yet!
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Rothwell made the decision not to extend his stay at Blackburn, despite a contract offer on the table from them.
He signed for them in 2018 following their return to the Championship and has grown as a player in the last four years.
The midfielder made 161 appearances for the North-West outfit, scoring 11 goals and claiming 18 assists.
Last season he typically operated as a central midfielder, although he can also play in the holding role with two players more advanced.
Rothwell looks like being a good signing for someone this summer, especially on a free transfer.
Now, reports claim that Bournemouth are in advanced talks with the 27-year-old and it will be interesting to see if a deal comes off.
Bournemouth leading Forest in chase to sign Rothwell and Cooper should act
It’s fair to say that Forest will need new additions to their squad across the park.
In central midfield, however, the need for new recruits is definitely evident.
Ryan Yates is likely to remain a regular in the team but James Garner will return to Manchester United to be assessed.
That leaves Cafu, a raw Braian Ojeda and a relatively untried Tyrese Fornah competing for the place next to him.
It’s unlikely that any of those three will become regulars in the team next season and one or two could even leave.
Rothwell would be a very shrewd option on a free transfer.
He’s approaching the peak of his powers and his tireless work rate could be a useful asset to Steve Cooper’s system.
Bournemouth might be leading the chase but Forest simply have to act in the coming days.