An extremely busy summer is expected at The City Ground as Nottingham Forest manager Aitor Karanka continues to reshuffle the squad he inherited from Mark Warburton.

Karanka is dissatisfied with his squad options and he is looking for new recruits in many positions.

One such position is central midfield and he moved to sign Jack Colback late in the January transfer window on a half-season loan deal.

Colback impressed at Forest and there has been talk of a possible permanent deal for the Newcastle United midfielder.

But wages may be a stumbling block and Karanka might instead look at other alternatives to strengthen his options in central midfield.

There are plenty of decent players out there who could fill the void left by Colback ahead of next season and compete with the likes of Liam Bridcutt, Adlene Guedioura and Ben Watson for a starting spot.

Here are three central midfielders Karanka should consider to solve the problem position.

Republic of Ireland youth international Cullen is likely to be axed by West Ham this summer after failing to break into the first-team on a regular basis.

But the 22-year-old is a talented ball-playing midfielder who is not afraid of a tackle and he could be a star in the Championship.

Sunderland are resigned to losing former Man United youngster McNair this summer with Championship clubs interested.

The 23-year-old Northern Ireland international was the standout player for the Black Cats in the Championship towards the end of last season and he could be a top player for many years at The City Ground.

Middlesbrough froze Clayton out for a while last season and although he regained his spot, he could be tempted to leave to re-join former Boro manager Karanka at Forest.

With vast experience at Championship level, the 29-year-old would be a superb addition for Forest and really strengthen their midfield options.