Nottingham Forest are now in active talks to sign an "exceptional" midfielder alongside Manchester City's James McAtee, according to a report.
Forest closing in on deal for McAtee
It was recently revealed that Forest are now closing in on McAtee, having struck an agreement on personal terms, and Fabrizio Romano has since reported that a deal could be wrapped up in the very near future.
"Nottingham Forest are closing in on James McAtee deal with Manchester City! Agreement at the final stages for fee in excess of £20m, NFFC confident to get it done… here we go, expected soon."
The Man City ace usually plays in an advanced midfield role, so it will be interesting to see where he slots into Nuno Espirito Santo's side, given that Morgan Gibbs-White agreed to extend his stay at the City Ground earlier this summer.
However, the Tricky Trees still remain keen on strengthening their options in the engine room, having made no new additions to their midfield up to this point, and they have now set their sights on a player from one of Europe's biggest clubs...
Indeed, according to a report from The Athletic, Nottingham Forest are now in active, club-to-club talks over a deal for AC Milan's Yunus Musah, and if those negotiations are successful, personal terms are expected to be a formality.
There is a feeling that Milan could be willing to sanction a departure, too, with sporting director Igli Tare saying: "I consider Musah an excellent player, but we are looking for profiles with characteristics that fit the project we have with coach Allegri.
"We are seeking deep-lying midfielders for a three-man midfield. Musah doesn’t have these characteristics."
Fellow Serie A midfielder, Juventus' Douglas Luiz, also remains an option for Forest, with Nuno keen to bring in a midfielder after selling Lewis O'Brien and Danilo already this summer.
"Exceptional" Musah could excel at the City Ground
A deal for the American would not break the bank, with a transfer fee of around £26m previously being touted, and there are plenty of indications that he could be capable of kicking on at the City Ground.
GNK Dinamo Zagreb's Kevin Theophile-Catherine in action with AC Milan's Yunus Musah
The Milan ace is still young at 22-years-old, but he has already made 188 appearances at first-team level across spells with his current club and Valencia, while also collecting 47 caps for his national side.
During that time, the USA international has displayed his versatility, regularly featuring in central midfield and on both wings, and his dribbling ability could make him an exciting wide option for Nuno.
Statistic Average per 90 (past year)
Progressive carries 2.90 (96th percentile)
Successful take-ons 1.32 (93rd percentile)
Lauded as "exceptional" by former USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter, Musah could be a solid option for Forest in midfield, and they will be hoping to make progress towards securing a deal before their Premier League opener against Brentford on Sunday.