Nottingham Forest are bracing themselves for an eventual bid for centre-back Joe Worrall from Burnley, according to the Nottingham Post.

The 24-year-old, who has been with Forest since the age of 13, has had a stellar season for the Tricky Trees but despite his good personal performances, Worrall couldn't guide Forest to any higher than 17th in the Championship.

It was a disappointing campaign on the whole for Chris Hughton's side and investment will be needed to strengthen the squad overall for a potential promotion push, and they may need to cash in on someone for Hughton to be allowed to do so.

Worrall is perhaps Forest's most sellable asset given that he's under a long-term contract and is only 24, and there has been reports linking him to Burnley, West Ham and Crystal Palace already this summer.

Burnley's interest is a long-standing one, but they seem close to landing Stoke youngster Nathan Collins with a £12 million bid set to be accepted, according to The Sun.

 

 

 

But if Forest fans think that means the Clarets' pursuit of Worrall will end there - think again.

The Post believe that Sean Dyche still wants Worrall even if a deal for Collins is done, and there's an 'expectation' that a bid will be coming from Lancashire for the imposing defender at some point in the near future.

The Verdict

Worrall would be a big loss for Forest if they decide to accept a bid for him, and it does seem like offers will be coming from perhaps more than one Premier League team.

He's definitely improved since he went out on loan to Rangers for the 2018-19 season and there's a reason as to why top flight clubs are being linked, but he may need to be sacrificed for the good of the whole team.

Should Forest manage to get an eight-figure fee for him, Hughton could do a lot with that money to strengthen and if you think about it, Forest already have another centre-back who has the potential to play in the Premier League in Scott McKenna who they purchased last summer.

Fans will be hoping that Worrall doesn't leave but a Premier League switch could be especially head-turning.