Nottingham Forest's on-loan midfielder James Garner is set to be offered a new contract by parent club Manchester United this summer, and could be loaned back out to the Championship next season, a report from The Sun has claimed.

Garner joined Forest on loan back in the January transfer window - having spent the first half of the campaign on loan at Watford - and has since made 15 appearances for Chris Hughton's side, scoring three goals and producing some impressive performances.

Now it seems as though the midfielder's recent contributions are starting to catch the eye at Old Trafford.

According to this latest report, United are now planning to offer Garner a new contract, with his current deal at the club expiring at the end of next season, although they do have the option to extend that by a further 12 months.

It is thought that United will then look to loan Garner out to a club outside of England for next season, but that the Premier League side would settle for allowing the 20-year-old to return to the Championship next season.

Prior to his loan move to the second-tier of English football, Garner had made seven first-team appearances in all competitions for United.

The Verdict

I do think this is a sensible decision for United to make with regards to Garner.

The midfielder has certainly shown his potential while at Forest during the past few months, with his performances earning him plenty of rave reviews.

As a result, you do feel as though United ought to be taking advantage of their position to secure his services long term, rather than risk losing him and then living to regret it further down the line.

A loan move next season could also make sense to give Garner some extra time to develop, since there is no rush for him to break into the United first-team in 2021/22, and you feel Forest would certainly jump at the chance to have him back if given the opportunity.