Nottingham Forest have joined Fulham in the race to sign a “ridiculous” £8 million-plus striker, according to a new report.
Nottingham Forest are chasing two new attackers after Elanga's departure
Reluctantly, Forest saw Anthony Elanga leave the City Ground and join Newcastle United in a deal worth £55 million. That now leaves the Reds with a large sum of money in their back pocket, but they also now need to find a suitable replacement for the Sweden international.
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Nottingham Forest are looking to make a bid for a Premier League starlet
It might not be considered a direct replacement, but Forest are already looking to bring in one new attacker. According to reports from Brazil, Forest have submitted a bid to sign Mateus Xavier from Santos. Teams such as Borussia Dortmund, PSV Eindhoven and Zenit Saint Petersburg had made enquiries, but it could be the Premier League side who now wins the race for the teenager's signature.
PSV Eindhoven's Johan Bakayoko in action
Away from the pursuit of Xavier, Forest are also leading the race to sign Johan Bakayoko from PSV, as talks are progressing well. The Belgian winger is wanted by several teams across Europe, but Forest are working on a deal that could see them land the player for just £22 million, as he is out of contract next summer.
The arrival of new attackers at the City Ground may not stop at Bakayoko, as the Reds are eyeing a new name.
According to Corriere dello Sport, relayed by Sport Witness, Nottingham Forest have contacted Inter Milan over the signing of striker Mehdi Taremi.
Inter Milan's Mehdi Taremi in action with Lazio's Mario Gila
The report states that Fulham and Besiktas were already in the race to sign the 32-year-old striker, and now the Reds have added their name to the list. All three teams have made contact with Inter to assess the conditions of a potential transfer for the Iran international, who has scored 53 goals for his country.
Forest, along with the other two teams, are now waiting for Taremi to decide what he wants to do next.
Taremi, who has been dubbed “ridiculous” by former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, is under contract at Inter until 2027, but the Serie A giants are looking to get rid of the striker in this transfer window. Inter have reportedly set an asking price of €10 million, which is roughly £8.6 million, but it is claimed they could be open to letting the player leave for less than that.
The Iran international joined Inter Milan last summer from FC Porto, and while he played 26 times in Serie A, he only managed seven starts. In fact, the forward started the same number of games in the Champions League as he did in the league. The fact that Taremi was in and out of the side meant he was unable to be as prolific in front of goal as he was during his time at Porto; he scored just three goals in all competitions last season.