Now that Nottingham Forest have been promoted, they can expect numerous players to be suddenly linked with a move to the City Ground.

It has been a long 23-year years since the Reds were last in the top flight and the football landscape has changed a lot in that time.

The obscene amounts of money now involved in the game has taken it up a notch in the top flight, and the transfer rumour industry has taken on a life of its own.

But the recent reports linking the club to Armando Broja and Islam Slimani show the different options available to the recently promoted side, and the paths they can take this summer.

At 20-years old, the Albanian represents the risky strategy to double down on Steve Cooper’s youth revolution at the City Ground.

But the former Leicester City striker shows the cheaper route to bringing in experienced forwards who know the league inside and out.

Broja had a good season on loan with Southampton, scoring six goals for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side in the league.

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Slimani has eight goals in four Premier League campaigns for Leicester City and Newcastle United.

Previously promoted sides have made the mistake of opting for experience above all else when preparing for life in the top flight.

Fellow promoted side Fulham are the poster boys for how not to handle the summer in between going up divisions.

The Algerian arrived as a big money signing to Leicester City in 2016, in the immediate aftermath of their title win, and his time at the King Power Stadium amounted to very little.

Nothing he did at the Foxes suggests he would be a solid signing for Forest to make this summer, although that was a number of years ago now.

However, Broja would be an ideal signing for Cooper’s side.

The forward is young, energetic, works hard off the ball and has the technical ability to score and create goals at Premier League level.

He would be an ideal potential replacement for Keinan Davis should the Reds come up short on Aston Villa’s evaluation of the striker.

Whilst a loan move wouldn’t be ideal, this is still the exact kind of profile of player that Forest should be targeting.

The promoted side was built on exciting young players - that philosophy should continue as the club embarks on its Premier League journey.