Nottingham Forest and Sunderland are among a host of high-profile clubs interested in signing forward Lawrence Shankland in the summer, according to reports from the Scottish Sun.

The 23-year old has endured a simply remarkable season in front of goal for Ayr United, netting 34 goals in a total of 41 appearances for the Scottish Championship outfit.

But the prolific forward, who has scored a staggering 63 goals in 74 games for the Scottish side, has recently took to Twitter to reveal that he is leaving Somerset Park upon the expiry of his contract with the club.

Now, it is believed that Nottingham Forest, Sunderland, Swansea City and Hull City are all monitoring the striker's situation, and will look to land Shankland on a bargain free transfer in the summer.

It is also claimed that clubs from the SPFL, as well as sides from Belgium and Holland, are interested in signing the free-scoring forward, who will now look to replicate his exceptional goalscoring form elsewhere.

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Nottingham Forest, the highest-ranked side out of the four mentioned teams, have Lewis Grabban, Karim Ansarifard and Daryl Murphy as their striking options up top, but the signing of Shankland would suggest that O'Neill is looking for younger blood up front.

The Verdict

I think Shankland could be an excellent signing for either team, and on a free transfer, it's surely worth a punt.

I don't think a team like Forest need him when they already have Grabban, Murphy and Ansarifard at the club, but Sunderland could be a perfect move for him.

Jack Ross' knowledge of Scottish football is second to none, and he will get the best out of him.