Nottingham Forest promotion-winner James Garner is attracting interest from several clubs, as per The Sun. Manchester United are willing to let him leave for £14 million, with Tottenham, Leeds and Southampton all keen.
The Reds have been linked with the 21-year-old starlet. Recent signings of Cheikhou Kouyate and Remo Freuler might have deterred Steve Cooper from making a swoop, however.
It’s somewhat surprising that United are willing to sell him. He’s never started a Premier League game for the club but is rated highly by the people behind the scenes at Old Trafford.
Garner was an integral part of the team last year. He struck up a brilliant partnership with Ryan Yates and actually set up the winning goal at Wembley in the Play-Off Final.
The England under-21 international will be gutted by United’s decision. He’s risen through the youth ranks at Old Trafford and would have been desperate to get a proper chance with his boyhood club.
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Garner spent the second half of the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Forest too. He stood out in Chris Hughton’s struggling team and helped steer the team towards survival.
Getting him back to the club for the 2021/22 season was huge. He began to star once Hughton was sacked and in the second half of last season, he was simply outstanding for the Reds.
Garner getting himself hooked up with a new club might not be straightforward. None of the interested parties are willing to pay the £14 million that United want to recoup for him this month.
Garner attracting interest and Forest might still be keen
It’s impossible to know if the midfielder is still on Forest’s radar. It does seem unlikely, with several options now in place at the City Ground for the midfield ranks.
Garner would be a decent investment in the future though. Although his game time could be restricted this season, it’d still be a sound purchase ahead of the next few years.
United are keen to get rid of their academy graduate. Casemiro is set to sign for the Red Devils and that will further shunt Garner down the United pecking order.
All three of the clubs provide attractivity in their own way. Garner struck up a rapport with the Forest fan base though and the Reds were keen surely he’d jump at the chance to sign.
Only Cooper knows whether or not he remains on the radar. If he does, the Reds must get serious amid some high-profile interest in the talented player.