Nottingham Forest are now keen on signing a “magical” midfielder after conducting a scouting mission, according to a report.
Forest flying high in the Premier League
With just under half of the Premier League season left to play, Forest are flying high near the top of the table, sitting just six points behind league leaders Liverpool after the 1-1 draw last time out.
It speaks volumes about how much the Tricky Trees have progressed that some members of the squad were left disappointed by the most recent result at The City Ground, with Anthony Elanga saying: “I’ll be honest, it feels like a loss, I feel like it was there for the taking. But we will build on this, and I feel like this mentality shows how far we have come – the fact that it feels like a loss.
Nonetheless, Nuno Santo’s side remain in Champions League contention, and the manager is now weighing up new additions to help his team achieve their ambition of playing European football next season.
Bringing in a new central midfielder appears to be one of Nuno’s priorities, and internal approval has now been granted over a move for Palmeiras’ Richard Rios.
However, Rios is not the only option Forest have in mind, as reports from Turkey (via Sports Witness) have now revealed they are keen on signing Galatasaray midfielder Gabriel Sara.
Scouts were left impressed after watching Sara in action recently, but there may be competition for his signature, with other Premier League clubs conducting scouting missions of their own.
Any deal is more likely to take place in the summer than January, with the Tricky Trees yet to formalise their interest by making contact with the Turkish club.
Gabriel Sara impressing in Turkey
The Brazilian, valued at €23m (£19m) is enjoying a fantastic debut season in Turkey, picking up two goals and six assists in 16 league outings, while he has also made six appearances in the Europa League.
With Forest in a good position to qualify for Europe next season, Nuno may be keen to bring in players with experience at that level of football, so the 25-year-old fits the bill in that regard.
Scout Ben Mattinson has also tipped the maestro for success in the Premier League in the future, having made a real impact for Norwich City in the Championship.
Nuno may want to bring in another midfielder this month too, in order to aid his side’s Champions League hopes, but signing Sara in the summer certainly looks like it could be a good bit of business.
