Nottingham Forest are thought to be serious candidates to sign Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen this month, but the latest reports suggest they are also currently in talks with another target.
Forest Eye’s Strand Larsen looking for striker in January
Forest have reportedly made some contact with Strand Larsen about a possible January move to replace the injured Chris Wood.
According to Football Insider, Forest officials have approached representatives of the 25-year-old to gauge his interest in a move to the City Ground.
Sean Dyche is desperate to strengthen his attacking options after Wood underwent knee surgery over the Christmas period. The New Zealand international faces several months out, leaving Forest surprisingly thin in terms of depth up front, with Igor Jesus the only senior option.
Strand Larsen has emerged as Forest’s main target despite his lack of form in the league this season.
The Norwegian has scored just one goal in 19 Premier League games, a dramatic drop from the 14 he scored in his debut season last season.
Nottingham Forest in contact with ‘great’ Premier League player over January move
Sean Dyche’s side have been busy after their win over West Ham.
But it was also worth noting that Strand Larsen scored a hat-trick as Wolves defeated League Two side Shrewsbury 6-1 in the FA Cup this afternoon.
The Athletic reports that Forest has drawn up a shortlist of four players, including Strand Larsen, Iran international Mehdi Taremi, Roma striker Artem Dovvik and Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri.
Sources say Wolves also have a £40m price tag on Strand Larsen, but are aware they won’t receive anything close to that if they are relegated.
The Old Gold are reluctant to sell to potential relegation rivals, but it is accepted that Forest could force a sale if a suitable offer arrives.
Forest sit seven points above the drop zone after an important 2-1 win against West Ham on Tuesday, while Wolves languish at the bottom of the table with just seven points from 21 games.
It makes little sense for Rob Edwards’ side to sell their main striker to a direct rival, especially after his heroics in today’s FA Cup, but Forest have alternatives in mind.
Nottingham Forest in talks to sign Fenerbahce striker Youssef En-Nesyri
Reports from Spain today claim that Forest are “advanced” in talks to sign En-Nesyri instead, and are prepared to make an offer of around £26 million for the Moroccan forward.
Contract negotiations with En-Nesyri, who is currently representing his country at AFCON, mean they have “taken the lead” in the race for his achievement, with the outcome expected to be known within days.
Mori also says he is “putting effort into it.”
En-Nesyri has had a pretty solid season with Fenerbahce this season, scoring eight goals and providing two assists in 25 games across all competitions.
The 28-year-old was particularly active in the Super Lig, scoring seven goals in 15 games and averaging 0.66 goals per 90 minutes.
The “skillful” former Sevilla forward stands at 6-foot-2, giving him a commanding superiority in the air, and his 0.67 expected non-penalty goals per 90 puts him in the top 99th percentile among Super Lig players.
En-Nesyri would be an ideal player for Dichez Forest.
The African has exactly the physical characteristics Diche is looking for after Chris Wood’s injury, with strength, aerial ability and top-level experience from his time in La Liga.
En-Nesyri, 28, is in his prime and has scored 25 goals in 90 appearances for Morocco.
