Nottingham Forest have been targeting a striker all summer long and things have heated up during the last few days.
A number of names have been linked with a move to Forest and now the shortlist looks to be down to two players – with the preferred candidate now emerging.
Santiago Gimenez has been linked for a few weeks but it would appear that signing him would be tricky given that he needs convincing to join.
That has seen all roads lead to Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah. He almost joined Marseille earlier in the summer but that move fell through.
On Saturday, Nketiah was an unused substitute for Arsenal as they got their 2024/25 campaign underway with a 2-0 win over Wolves at the Emirates Stadium.
Now, a move to the City Ground looks to be on the radar for Nketiah, with Forest agreeing personal terms with the player.
Why Nottingham Forest have gone for Eddie Nketiah over Santiago Gimenez
It’s fair to say that the fan perception is that Gimenez would have been a more attractive player, with his ceiling a little bit higher.
However, The Telegraph has now shared why Forest have chosen to go for Nketiah over Gimenez on this occasion.
The club do like the Mexican talisman but his valuation of £38 million has proved a stumbling block for the Reds.
Instead, it’s claimed that Forest are going to complete the signing of Nketiah who is a long-term target of the club’s ownership.
Evangelos Marinakis has held extensive talks over the striker with Edu in recent days now a deal looks close to completion.
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Nketiah has scored 38 goals for Arsenal during his time at the club and as a graduate of the Hale End Academy, he will be missed by the Gunners.
Game time is paramount for Nketiah now though and by playing well at Forest, he might feel as though he can add to his single England cap.
Only time will tell if Forest have hit the jackpot with Eddie Nketiah
At 25, the striker can’t really be considered young per se and there is an element that he really does need to get going ahead of his prime.
Nketiah’s stats at Arsenal are a little bit flawed though. He’s never really been considered the number-one striker and has often been used as a backup option.
At Forest, he should quickly get the chance to establish himself as the primary striker and his profile could fit the team nicely.
With Callum Hudson-Odoi, Morgan Gibbs-White and Anthony Elanga providing the service, Nketiah clearly likes the idea of playing in the Forest team.
Now things look to be progressing, the hope will be that Nketiah can arrive at Forest and quickly hit the ground running to fire Forest into the higher echelons of the bottom half of the Premier League.
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