Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper has placed Millwall's Jed Wallace at the top of his wish list in terms of strengthening the wing position, according to The Guardian's Will Unwin.

The Reading-born wide man looked set to sign on the dotted line with Turkish Super Lig outfit Besiktas earlier this month (5/1; 11:33am), but the Reds entered the race in a bid to hijack this deal and have already had multiple bids rejected for his services.

Recording five goals and six assists in 21 Championship appearances this term, Wallace has arguably been the Lions' most influential player in recent years, compensating for others' inability to step up to the plate and proving to be Gary Rowett's side's most valuable assets.

 

 

However, his deal at The Den expires in the summer, allowing Besiktas and other teams from across Europe (excluding England) to negotiate a pre-contract agreement for the winger, with the London-based outfit at risk of losing him for free at the end of the season.

The second-tier side have remained firm in the race of bids from league rivals Forest though, despite it becoming clear back in September that it was going to be difficult for his current club to tie him down to a new contract.

Forest have also been in pursuit of Blackpool's Josh Bowler after seeing him impress since his arrival at Bloomfield Road in the summer, with Football League World understanding that they are preparing to launch a third bid for him.

But as per journalist Unwin, he is below Wallace on their wish list despite tirelessly chasing both, saying: "Jed Wallace is the man Steve Cooper wants so is the sole focus when it comes to Forest signing a winger at the moment, but there’s a hell of a long way to go to get a deal done."

The Verdict:

This move does make sense, especially with Brennan Johnson being so heavily linked with a move to the Premier League in recent months and there being a need to put a contingency plan in the event of his potential departure.

The Welshman has become such an influential figure at the City Ground this season and this is why an adequate replacement will need to be brought in quickly if Forest want to give themselves the best chance of sustaining their top-six push.

Wallace would be a great replacement considering his goal contributions record in recent years. Not only has he been an influential figure at The Den this season, but he has been extremely consistent over the past few years.

That should give Cooper confidence that the 27-year-old would be able to make an instant impact if he was to make the move from London to the East Midlands.

It would be quite a surprise if they didn't secure his signature if Johnson leaves, because they would have the finances to bring him in and strengthen other areas as well, with a move for Bowler also on the cards if they generate this revenue via a sale.