Nottingham Forest are looking to prise former Manchester City midfielder Adam Clayton away from Middlesbrough according to The Mirror (Transfer Live blog, 23:09pm, Saturday, June 23, 2018).

29-year old Clayton played for Karanka at Boro and is now a target for the Spaniard as he builds a side he believe is capable of promotion to the top flight. He is set for a fight though as Boro are also keen on keeping their key player.

Clayton joined Boro in 2014 from Huddersfield for a fee believed to be around £1.5m, and as recently as 2017 he signed a four-year deal on Teeside, meaning Forest would have to pay for his services, should they follow up their interest.

Clayton knows the Championship well, he played 43 times for Boro last season and has spent six full seasons in the second tier, three at Boro, two with the Terrier and one at Leeds.

After starting out at Manchester City, Clayton spent time on loan with Carlisle, earning a runner's up medal in the EFL Trophy whilst at Brunton Park. He's also been on loan at Peterborough and MK Dons and has England U20 honours.

The Verdict

Clayton is a solid midfielder at this level and another player Aitor Karanka knows well from his previous spell with Boro.

If Karanka does lure him away it would be a massive blow for Tony Pulis and Boro. Clayton was virtually ever-present last season and a key component of their surge to the top six.