Nottingham Forest will consider making a move for Burnley shot-stopper Nick Pope during the summer transfer window, as per a report from The Sun.

The 30-year-old has been one of the first names on the teamsheet for the Clarets in recent years and they have a chance of holding on to him beyond the summer, with 12 months left on his contract and the club holding the option to trigger a one-year extension on his existing deal.

However, the Lancashire side's relegation from the Premier League could pressure them into selling one of their prized assets in the coming months, with Pope potentially wanting to ply his trade in the top tier next term with the World Cup coming up later this year.

 

 

The Englishman is currently part of Gareth Southgate's plans but with Dean Henderson and Sam Johnstone potentially playing regularly in the top flight next term, his international place could be in jeopardy if he remains in the second tier with his current side.

Many sides have already been linked with a move for the 30-year-old recently including another recently-promoted outfit in Fulham, West Ham and Newcastle United.

However, he is currently valued at £40m and this is likely to be a stumbling block for the Reds who aren't likely to have a bottomless pit of money to spend during the summer.

The Verdict:

This is a very interesting link because some Forest supporters would trust Brice Samba and Ethan Horvath to be their two first-team options at the City Ground next season based on their performances during the 2021/22 season.

Although Samba has endured some low moments, potentially the reason why Steve Cooper may want to move for another shot-stopper, there have also been bright moments and the 28-year-old will believe he deserves to keep his place.

Horvath has also been reasonably solid when installed between the sticks by the Welshman, recovering well from an early-season howler against Middlesbrough to become a reliable figure for the East Midlands outfit.

If they are to give themselves the best chance of staying up though, they need players with top-tier pedigree and Pope has that, almost able to keep the Clarets afloat with some remarkable performances.

At this stage though, it could be argued that they need to focus on other areas like their forward department and wing-back area, as well as replacing some of their former loanees, so the England international shouldn't be too high up on their list at this stage.