Bournemouth centre-back Steve Cook is reportedly set to have a medical in the next 48 hours ahead of a permanent move to Nottingham Forest where it is believed he will sign a two-and-a-half-year deal. 

Steve Cooper made the first signing of his tenure by landing forward Keinan Davis on loan from Aston Villa on the first day of the winter window and it seems he is keen to continue to get his business done early.

With opportunities hard to come by at Bournemouth this season, Cook was linked with Forest, QPR, Newcastle United, and Watford ahead of January but it seems he is now close to joining the City Ground outfit.

According to The Telegraph's John Percy, the centre-back will have his medical at the East Midlands club in the next 48 hours ahead of a permanent move.

Alex Crook from talkSPORT has added that a two-and-a-half-year contract is being offered to the 30-year-old.

The cost of the move appears unclear at the moment, with Crook indicating a minimal fee may be involved and Percy suggesting it will be a free transfer.

Cook has spent a decade with the South Coast club – amassing 387 appearances and helping them rise from League One to the Premier League in that period.

The Verdict

This looks like another shrewd bit of business from Forest, who deserve credit for moving to make their signings so early.

It's not a done deal just yet but the timeline outlined in this fresh update indicates we could well see him announced before the end of the week.

Beating the likes of QPR, Newcastle, and Watford to the signing represents a real coup while Cook's promotion experience could prove to be just as important as his on-field ability.

Given how wide open the Championship play-off race is right now, January was always going to be an important month and the Reds look to have made the ideal start.