This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Nottingham Forest could reignite their interest in Dundee United striker Lawrence Shankland in the January window, according to Sarah Clapson from the Nottingham Post.

The Reds have been linked with the forward previously and Clapson has indicated that the club could return for him in the upcoming window.

But would he be a good signing for Forest? And do they need him?

We quizzed our FLW writers on the topic...

George Dagless 

You wouldn't say they need him particularly but I suppose it depends on whether Chris Hughton feels that they do.

He'll have his own ideas about the squad and how he wants it to look and January will be his first full window to make changes.

Lyle Taylor appears to have ousted Lewis Grabban and if the latter isn't really a part of Hughton's plans then perhaps getting in another forward like Shankland wouldn't be a bad idea.

Time will soon tell as to what he wants to do.

Chris Thorpe

This would certainly be an interesting move from Forest, particularly with Lyle Taylor now finding his scoring boots at the City Ground.

There would be no harm in adding more competition and subsequent goals to their striking ranks but I'm not sure if Shankland would start.

Having put pen to paper on a three-year deal recently, this could be a costly deal if Chris Hughton was to pursue it come January, which means it could be a no-go because of the ongoing pandemic.

Only time will tell but for me I think this would be a pretty needless addition, with Taylor and Lewis Grabban being more than enough for them right now.

Did these 17 Nottingham Forest players ever actually score a league goal for the club?

 

Toby Wilding

I'm not sure I'd be rushing into this move as much now as I would have done previously.

Although Shankland's goal record further down the Scottish leagues is outstanding, he hasn't been quite as prolific since making the move up to the Scottish Premiership this season.

As a result, Forest may want to wait and see how he performs in the next few weeks before deciding whether or not to make a move, and with Lyle Taylor hitting some form, they don't look to be in desperate need of a goalscorer right now.

However, with Lewis Grabban the only alternative upfront, they could find themselves walking a tightrope with injuries and suspensions during such a busy season, so bringing in Shankland as cover may not be the worst idea, since you feel he could be a useful squad player for Chris Hughton's side, although you wonder if he will be happy in that role, given the key player he is at Tannadice right now.