Nottingham Forest are stepping up their efforts to sign a new centre-forward with Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah in the club’s sights.
The Reds have Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi in their ranks at the moment but another option is being sought by the club.
Arsenal are willing to do business for Nketiah but they are demanding a fee in the region of £30-£35 million for the player’s services.
Forest have also been linked with Santiago Gimenez and it’s claimed that a first bid for him was rejected over the weekend.
With just under two weeks left of the transfer window. it would appear that Forest are now starting to make moves in the transfer market.
Nottingham Forest have bid rejected for Arsenal star Eddie Nketiah
According to David Ornstein, a first bid of £25 million plus add-ons has been rejected by Arsenal as they want more money.
It’s also claimed that the Reds have now made Nketiah their number-one transfer target before the end of the transfer window.
Nketiah didn’t get off the bench on Saturday as Arsenal started their campaign with a 2-0 win at home to Wolves.
Now, his future looks bleak at the Emirates Stadium and it’s claimed that Forest are still working on doing a deal for the 25-year-old.
Nketiah’s stats at Arsenal don’t look particularly impressive, with just 38 goals from 168 appearances.
However, that is probably flawed on the basis that he’s never been considered the number-one striker during his time at the Gunners.
The talisman scored against Manchester United during the 2022/23 season and afterwards, Nketiah was called ‘absolutely fantastic’ by Roy Keane for his efforts.
Forest would be taking a risk with Nketiah signing
The risk is that Nketiah hasn’t really been used to being a primary striker at Arsenal and his goal record is hardly amazing.
However, Forest do have to know their position in the food chain and perhaps the club appreciates that he could still develop into a top player.
Nketiah does seem to know how to be in the right place at the right time and he’s a player who does at least know the Premier League.
Who Scored claims that Nketiah’s main strengths are holding onto the ball and finishing, with the player often getting fouled.
Forest have gone in with an offer that does sound reasonable but it’s been rejected by the Gunners who are determined to get their full valuation.
A fee of £30-£35 million does sound steep for a player who also earns around £100,000-a-week and hopefully, some kind of compromise can be reached between the parties.
One thing looks certain, however…Forest aren’t going to be messing about when it comes to the end of the summer transfer window – again!
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