Nottingham Forest move one step closer to signing Marcus Rashford-esque winger

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Nottingham Forest are well-placed to finish in the Champions League spots.

After Nottingham Forest’s 2-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur on Easter Monday, fans are starting to dream of a European tour.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s men moved back into third and now have a three-point buffer on sixth-placed Chelsea heading into the final five games of the season.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LiverpoolLiverpool	33	24	7	2	75	31	44	79
2	ArsenalArsenal	33	18	12	3	61	27	34	66
3	Nottm ForestNottingham Forest	33	18	6	9	53	39	14	60
4	NewcastleNewcastle	33	18	5	10	62	44	18	59
5	Man CityManchester City	33	17	7	9	64	42	22	58
6	ChelseaChelsea	33	16	9	8	58	40	18	57

Indeed, there is still plenty left to do, but behind the scenes, Nottingham Forest chiefs are already plotting their summer transfer business.

With European football of some kind on almost inevitably on the horizon, Nuno’s squad will need to be bulked up.

And, with that said, it’s just come to light that Forest have moved one step closer to signing a talented winger on the continent.

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Nottingham Forest make ‘strong move’ to sign Alexis Saelemaekers

Nottingham Forest are in the market for a winger this summer transfer window and they’ve been eyeing Alexis Saelemaekers.

In fact, Forest have a long-standing interest in Saelemaekers and that’s only intensified following his impressive season.

The 14-cap Belgium international is spending the season on loan at Roma from AC Milan, and after registering 12 goal involvements from the flank, the former are hopeful of landing his signature on a permanent deal.

However, according to TuttoMercatoWeb, Forest are making a ‘strong move’ to sign the £17m-rated attacker.

It’s understood that Champions League qualification would give them a significant edge in the race, especially considering Roma are currently outside of the top four as it stands.

Saelemaekers likened to Marcus Rashford

According to FootballTransfers, Saelemaekers is of a similar profile to Aston Villa wide player Marcus Rashford.

The 25-year-old is statistically one of the best ball carriers on the planet, as he ranks in the top six per cent compared to his positional peers for successful take-ons per 90 (FBref).

Saelemaekers also sits in the top one per cent for shot-creating actions, evincing his elite playmaking abilities.

So, with that said, it seems he’d be a really exciting recruit for Forest and he’d be a different profile from what they currently have.

Plus, a respectable £17m fee would allow funds to be allocated elsewhere.