OPINION
Nottingham Forest must join the reported race to sign Bristol City defender Joe Bryan this summer as Aitor Karanka continues to improve his squad at the City Ground.
The Mirror claimed via their live transfer blog on Tuesday [02:31pm] that Leeds United and Middlesbrough are in hot pursuit of Bryan, 24, after an impressive season at Ashton Gate which saw him also attract interest from Premier League sides Burnley and Bournemouth.
The left-back was in good form for Bristol City last term as they mounted a challenge for promotion from the Championship and also reached the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup when they lost to Manchester City.
Bryan played a major role in helping the Robins make the final four of the cup competition, scoring goals against Crystal Palace and Manchester United as they progressed through the rounds.
In all competitions in 2017/18, the left-sided flyer made 48 appearances, scored seven goals and supplied three assists for the Robins – and he would be a brilliant addition for a club like Forest, who are in the hunt for a left-back.
The Nottingham Post reported in June that Karanka is looking to sign Middlesbrough’s Fabio to add some extra depth to the left-side of his defence this summer.
But Karanka should scrap that idea and instead look into beating Leeds and Boro to Bryan, who will definitely be an improvement on Forest’s current left-back options and can really help transform the side from a mid-table one into a serious promotion contender.