Nottingham Forest have stepped up their efforts to sign AS Roma midfielder Edoardo Bove, according to Calciomercato.
The 22-year-old has been deemed surplus to requirements at the Stadio Olimpico, and the Premier League could be his next landing spot.
Bove has always expressed his desire to remain at Roma, which is unsurprising, especially off the back of an exciting individual campaign.
The Italian midfielder established himself at a high level and was widely regarded as an indispensable part of Jose Mourinho’s squad last season.
The decorated Portuguese manager was very fond of Bove, who featured 45 times across all competitions, chipping in with a goal and two assists.
He started 18 of his 31 appearances in Serie A. He only contributed two assists, but his work rate was hugely admired by Mourinho.
Despite his paltry numbers, Bove’s underlying statistics painted a better picture of his qualities as a midfielder.
He recovered the ball 3.1 times per 90 minutes and won 1.9 tackles in the league. He also registered a 56% dribble success rate and won 55% of his ground duels.
However, since Daniele De Rossi stepped in to replace Mourinho, Bove’s status in the squad has taken a nosedive.
His minutes began to decline towards the end of last term, and there hasn’t been any change this season.
He hasn’t featured in any of Roma’s opening two Serie A fixtures against Cagliari and Empoli, so a last-minute exit is on the cards.
After narrowly escaping relegation last term, Forest have splashed the cash to bolster Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad.
The Tricky Trees have recruited eight new players this summer, but the manager is still keen to strengthen his options in midfield, and Bove has emerged as a primary target.
Reports previously claimed that Forest had submitted an official bid for Bove, but it was lower than Roma’s £13 million asking price.
After intensifying negotiations, they’re expected to return with a second offer, but they’ll likely face serious competition from Fiorentina.
Stats from Sofascore.com
