Nottingham Forest are yet to make an approach for Sporting Lisbon forward Islam Slimani despite their links to the Algerian, according to an update from Portuguese outlet A Bola.

The 33-year-old, who has previously plied his trade at Leicester City and Newcastle United, recorded eight goals and two assists in 28 competitive appearances during the 2021/22 campaign.

Three of these goals came in the Europa League, with his brace against Sparta Prague and strike at Brondby helping former side Lyon progress to the knockout stages of the competition before his move to Sporting.

He could be set to leave Portugal though despite only arriving there earlier this calendar year, with the 33-year-old reported to be attracting interest from Steve Cooper's Reds who are in need of strengthening their forward area following their promotion to the Premier League.

With Keinan Davis returning to Aston Villa, Forest have a shortage of options in this department even without out-of-contract talisman Lewis Grabban potentially departing this summer as well.

However, they haven't yet made a move for the Algerian according to A Bola (via Sport Witness), who also report that his future remains "open" at this stage amid previous interest from Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

Forest seem to have other irons in the fire though as they reportedly prepare a £10m bid in an attempt to lure Artem Dovbyk to the City Ground.

The Verdict:

This would seem like a strange addition considering Forest's obvious preference to recruit younger players - and these younger additions could be more adaptable - helping Cooper to switch formation and tactics effectively.

His formation switches were already on display last season with the Welshman reverting from a back three to a flat back four at times and vice-versa, so this adaptability could be crucial in the Reds' quest to retain their unpredictability.

Slimani may have top-tier experience under his belt - but it doesn't look as though they would be able to sell him on for a huge fee in the summer and his wage demands aren't likely to be modest either, so it may be worth the Reds turning their attention to other targets.

In fairness, he probably wouldn't be an expensive addition and that could enable the East Midlands outfit to spend heavily in other areas, with the club still hopeful of recruiting Djed Spence permanently.

But at this stage, the Algerian should be a backup option as opposed to their number one target even with the amount of European football he has under his belt, because they have the sufficient funds to look elsewhere.