“Top priority”: Journalist claims Nottingham Forest have opened talks to sign No.1 target

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According to Fabrizio Romano, Nottingham Forest have opened talks to sign William Carvalho from Real Betis.

What’s the story?

Well, the Championship play-off final winners have already signed Jesse Lingard and 11 others, while Steve Cooper is also close to signing Orel Mangala from VfB Stuttgart as well.

However, Nottingham Forest still aren’t content, and have started negotiations with Real Betis over a deal for Carvalho.

Romano believes there is “strong interest” in the Portugal international, and Nottingham Forest are “pushing” to sign him after earmarking him as the “priority” target this summer.

It comes after the 30-year-old made 49 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring four goals while also providing five assists for Real Betis.

You may recognise the 30-year-old’s name from an elongated transfer saga involving West Ham, who made serious attempts to sign the towering midfielder years ago when Slaven Bilic was in charge.

Now, with 73 caps for Portugal to his name and 103 La Liga appearances under his belt, Nottingham Forest are pursuing a far more experienced version of Carvalho compared to the one West Ham targeted.

William Carvalho could transform Nottingham Forest

In our view, this could be the most important signing Cooper makes this summer.

Carvalho is a colossal presence in midfield, who also boasts strong technical ability and dribbling skills.

Thanks to analyst Liam Henshaw, you can see exactly what type of player the Luanda-born midfielder is in a series of short clips showcasing his best traits.

Carvalho is clearly someone who looks forward to break opposition lines, rather than an unadventurous figure who often plays the simple pass.

Furthermore, the Real Betis No.14 evidently has lots of confidence, as we see him slot the ball in after an outrageous nutmeg, while his ball-rolled finish midway through the video is also highly impressive.

If Nottingham Forest can get this deal done, it could turn out to be the signing of the summer.