Premier League duo Everton and Nottingham Forest are both chasing a deal for Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury, according to an update from the Daily Mirror's Tom Hopkinson (18/6; 2:12pm).

The 24-year-old made just six Premier League appearances last term and 12 in all competition - and with that and the fact his contract at the King Power Stadium expires in a year - the Foxes may be willing to let him go as they look to strengthen their squad once more ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Forest are in need of another central midfielder following former loanee James Garner's return to Manchester United last month - and have seemingly identified the Leicester man as someone who can either come in alongside or replace Ryan Yates.

 

 

Another side that are thought to be interested in his signature are West Brom, who had a severe shortage of players in this area throughout the 2021/22 campaign, a problem that was made even worse when Robert Snodgrass left at the end of January.

They have also targeted a move for Joe Rothwell - but he looks set to link up with AFC Bournemouth and that could mean Choudhury is now their main target in this area.

However, they look set to face stiff competition from top-tier sides, with Albion's failure to get back to the top flight at the first time of asking potentially costly in this situation.

The Verdict:

If they are serious about moving for the midfielder, that could put an end to the Baggies' pursuit of him because they won't be able to offer him football in the top flight.

However, they could potentially offer him more game time and that may persuade the midfielder to take the step down before getting back to the top tier - because this chance to thrive at a lower level could provide him with real confidence.

There's every chance the Midlands outfit could be challenging for promotion next season too, especially if they can land some of their top targets with a top-quality player in John Swift already through the door.

Also able to play with the likes of Karl Bartley, Jake Livermore and others that have plied their trade in the top tier before, there's every chance he could go on to develop nicely at The Hawthorns.

And at this stage of his career, playing time is the most important thing so they will just be hoping that he chooses Albion if he's given the choice, though top-tier sides may be willing to pay more of his wages if he goes out on loan.