Nottingham Forest have reportedly identified Napoli forward Victor Osimhen as a potential summer transfer target.
The East Midlands outfit are currently bidding to pull off the surprise double of securing Champions League qualification through their position in the Premier League table and winning the FA Cup.
A quarter-final showdown with Brighton & Hove Albion prior to a top-flight encounter against Manchester United has their immediate attention, yet discussions will be taking place behind the scenes regarding their transfer activity.
As a result of what has seemed to be an ongoing battle with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability regulations, much may depend on whether they earn a spot in a continental competition.
Nevertheless, according to Football Insider, owner Evangelos Marinakis is also planning one of the most ambitious approaches possible in the market.
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Osimhen on Forest radar
The report alleges that Marinakis wants to compete with a wide array of high-profile clubs to secure the signature of Osimhen, who is on loan at Galatasaray.
With 26 goals and five assists from 30 appearances, the Nigeria international has continued to showcase his ability in Turkey after failing to secure a move to the Premier League or Saudi Pro League at the back end of last summer.
Osimhen will return to Napoli in the summer with just a year remaining on his contract and a release clause said to be in the region of £63m.
Unless a Saudi Arabian club wishes to win the race for Osimhen, it is not realistic to expect that figure to be met by any potential suitors.
That may theoretically bring Forest into contention to sign the 26-year-old, who reportedly has the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain all monitoring the situation.
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Do Forest have any hope?
Champions League qualification would change the landscape for Forest, bolstering their hopes of keeping their best players and attracting some notable names to the City Ground.
However, it is questionable whether shelling out a large chunk of their budget on a player such as Osimhen makes sense at this stage.
Chris Wood is their standout leading marksman and perfectly suited to Nuno Espirito Santo‘s system, and theoretically paying £60m+ – accompanied with a monster wage packet – would hinder Forest in the long term.
While Marinakis naturally wants to make Forest’s presence felt in the market, they would be no more than remote outsiders for Osimhen on several levels.
The club’s supporters may also prefer a more thought-out process when it comes to transfers. Adding competition to the defence would likely take priority.
