Championship giants Nottingham Forest have identified Hearts star John Souttar as a potential successor for Joe Worrall ahead of the January transfer window, as reported by The Sun (5 December, page 59).
It is two-and-a-half months since Nottingham Forest sacked Chris Hughton and handed the reigns to Steve Cooper.
And while no one is getting carried away just yet – Forest fans have seen enough false dawns to last a lifetime during 20 decades away from the Premier League – there does appear to be reason for optimism at a club which has a tendency to suck up positivity like a ravenous black hole.
Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Peterborough United means the two-time European champions are now just six points adrift of the play-offs.
Though the upcoming January transfer window may be the making or the breaking of their new-found promotion prospects.
Bring in a prolific new centre-forward – Dwight Gayle and Rhian Brewster are among those to be linked in recent weeks – and watch Forest fly.
It’s not hard to imagine Gayle, a proven goalscorer at Championship level, tearing second-tier defences apart with Philip Zinckernagel, Brennan Johnson and co providing the ammunition.
There is, however, every chance that January will bring renewed speculation regarding the future of Joe Worrall too.
Southampton and West Ham United were linked with the towering centre-back over the summer. And both are expected to be in the market for defensive reinforcements, especially after the Hammers lost Angelo Ogbonna to a season-ending injury.
According to The Sun, Nottingham Forest have Souttar in their sights as a potential contingency option.
The 25-year-old will be a free-agent next summer and has also been linked with Celtic and Rangers, not to mention a whole host of Championship rivals.
The bidding for Souttar is expected to start at around £500,000.
Whether the Scot is needed at the City Ground, however, remains to be seen. Worrall, a boyhood Forest fanatic with Garibaldi red running through his veins, has been linked with a move away plenty of times in the past but has never been tempted to turn his back on the sleeping giants.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
