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 are reportedly keen on Blackburn Rovers midfielder Joe Rothwell, who is set to become a free agent.
The Telegraph's John Percy has claimed that the Reds will make an offer to the midfielder irrelevant of which division they're playing in next term.
They face competition from West Bromwich Albion but would he be a good signing for Forest? And do they need him?
Our FLW writers have their say...
Josh Cole
This could turn out to be an incredibly clever bit of business by Forest as they will need to draft in a replacement for James Garner this summer as the midfielder is set to return to Old Trafford when his latest loan deal expires.
Rothwell could prove to be an ideal replacement for James Garner as he has illustrated this season that he is more than capable of delivering the goods for Blackburn.
In the 41 appearances that he made for the club in the Championship, Rothwell provided 13 direct goal contributions as he averaged a WhoScored match rating of 6.95 at this level.
Regardless of whether Forest secure promotion via the play-offs this month, Rothwell could prove to be a valuable addition to their squad as they aim to move forward as a club under the guidance of Steve Cooper.
Declan Harte
Rothwell would be a very solid addition to the Forest side, having performed really well for Blackburn this season.
The Reds will be without James Garner beyond this campaign, so the 27-year old could make for a really shrewd signing to replace the Manchester United youngster.
Rothwell has been a key player for Blackburn in the Championship and has continued to grow in importance year on year.
Given he would be arriving as a free agent, this is a no-brainer decision for Forest to make an offer.
It’s uncertain that Rothwell is ready to make the step up to the Premier League, but he would still be a valuable squad member in the top flight.
If Forest fail to earn promotion, he could certainly be a solid squad leader should the Reds remain a second division side.
Adam Jones
Forest are in need of someone to replace James Garner's goalscoring threat and in Rothwell, they have someone else who can contribute from midfield so he could be a good option for Steve Cooper.
At 27, he isn't exactly the youngest but there's still potential to sell him on for a reasonable amount of money and considering this would be a free transfer, it's a low-risk addition they should be seriously considering.
As seen this season, Jack Colback has needed to fill in at wing-back and this is why more options in midfield may be needed with Garner also not guaranteed to be returning to the City Ground.
And with Cafu's future unclear too as a fringe player, this is a move that would make sense, though they will face considerable competition for his signature.