Promoted side Nottingham Forest are in desperate need of addressing several areas before the Premier League campaign begins in the early stages of August.

The wing-back position is one of particular concern following the return of Djed Spence and Max Lowe back to their parent clubs - with both proving to be crucial to Steve Cooper's fast start to his reign at the City Ground - setting the tone for the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign.

Another area where they lack depth is their forward area following Keinan Davis' return to Aston Villa on the expiration of his loan deal, with Lewis Grabban out of contract and Sam Surridge desperately needing more competition for a starting spot despite his impressive performances.

 

 

Without additions in this area, they may find it difficult to break down top-flight defences next term and this can only be a hindrance in their quest to remain afloat at the top level.

Keinan Davis is one player they reportedly want back on a permanent basis, though Villa's £15m asking price may be more than the Reds are willing to pay this summer due to the fact they won't have a bottomless pit of money to spend.

This is why they will need to have other targets lined up - and we take a deeper look at one of those below.

What do we know so far?

According to Nau.ch, the Reds' recruitment team have identified Red Bull Salzburg forward Noah Okafar as a potential target ahead of the summer window.

Impressing in the Austrian top tier last term with nine goals and nine assists in just 21 league appearances, he has been the subject of interest from elsewhere in recent months with Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig previously thought to have been tracking his progress.

This same report from Sport 1 also revealed that sides from England were also keeping tabs on his situation and one of them was Newcastle United with the 22-year-old reported to be open to a move to the UK.

That could put Forest in a strong position to secure his signature - and journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed back in March that the Swiss international was likely to leave his current side this summer - though the German Bundesliga was the most likely destination for him at that point.

Inter Milan and Sevilla may end up scuppering a move to Germany if they have sustained their interest though.

Is it likely to happen?

If others have sustained their interest, probably not.

Forest look set to have a considerable amount to spend this summer because of their promotion but they will also be wary about the potential consequences of spending too much, suffering relegation, being stuck in the Championship and then breaching the EFL's financial rules.

This is why they would be wise not to engage in a bidding war for his services and considering they have many other areas to address in their quest to make themselves a competitive top-tier force, they probably won't be wanting to spend over the odds on a new forward despite the need to add quality and depth to this position.

Newcastle, armed with their rich owners, could end up forcing them out of the race for the 22-year-old if they submit a sizeable bid for his services and with two years left on his contract, Salzburg would be entitled to request a high fee.

Spending big on both Spence and Okafar would take a big chunk out of their budget and considering they are reportedly set to bid £10m for Artem Dovbyk, the Swiss forward may be further down their priority list at this stage.

This move shouldn't be ruled out completely, however.