Nottingham Forest are interested in a move to sign Middlesbrough captain Grant Leadbitter, according to the Northern Echo.
The newspaper claims that the Reds are lining up the midfield enforcer and manager Aitor Karanka wants to form a reunion, as the pair were both on the books at Boro at the same time.
News outlet TEAMtalk believes that Boro are willing to sell the 32-year-old this summer for a “minimal fee” and that Sunderland are keen.
However, the Northern Echo now reports that the central midfielder is in no rush to drop to League One, where Sunderland will be playing next season, and is still under contract until 2019.
Good move for Forest?
Forest need a few reinforcements over the summer if they are to kick on next season and try to push somewhere towards the play-off spots, which is why adding the experienced Leadbitter would be a step in the right direction.
The Boro captain has a lot of know-how in the Championship and is a dependable midfielder that can help screen the back four.
He should be able to make a fairly smooth move to the City Ground under the guidance of the manager and would be a decent option in the centre of the park.
This Is Futbol rating: 7/10
Likely to happen?
Leadbitter to Forest seems unlikely right now despite the Karanka link, with Sunderland appearing to be more keen.
This Is Futbol rating: 3/10