Everton striker Oumar Niasse has turned down the opportunity to join Nottingham Forest on loan after the Championship side had an offer accepted for the 29-year-old, according to Football Insider.

Forest boss Sabri Lamouchi is looking to add another striker to his side's ranks to support leading marksman Lewis Grabban in attack, but it is being reported that the Reds have now been dealt a significant blow in their pursuit of Everton outcast Niasse.

It is understood that the out-of-favour attacker has rejected a move to Forest as he is not willing to drop down to the second tier of English football, while it is also believed that Niasse has turned down a second Championship club as well.

Niasse has failed to make any of Carlo Ancelotti's match-day squads since his appointment at Goodison Park, while the Senegal international has only registered one senior appearance during a testing campaign for the Merseyside outfit.

It is now believed that Everton's director of football Marcel Brands is looking to arrange a move for Niasse this month, but it seems the frontman is reluctant to join a Championship side following his previous top-flight loan moves to Hull and Cardiff.

Forest are currently sitting fifth in the Championship table following a solid campaign to date, but Lamouchi appears eager to add another option to his side's attacking unit as they aim to mount a serious promotion push during the remainder of the season.

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The Verdict

Forest are definitely in need of another attacking option in order to ensure they have plenty of depth for the remainder of the season, but I'm not convinced that Niasse would have been a great addition given his goalscoring record.

It is true that he could have been revelation in the second tier, but he has only found the net on 14 occasions since arriving in England in 2016, and the fact he is not even making Ancelotti's squad suggests he is not too highly regarded on Merseyside.

However, this news will still come as a blow seeing as Forest were clearly keen on Niasse's services, but they will need to quickly turn their attention elsewhere in order to beat Championship rivals to the signature of a forward who can make a difference.