Nottingham Forest are interested in signing Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah before the summer transfer window closes later this month, according to The Athletic.
The City Ground club also want Feyenoord’s Santiago Gimenez, but the Gunners star is their top target as manager Nuno Espirito Santo looks to bolster his attacking ranks and he has been identified as the top priority going forward.
Forest have tabled a bid worth £25 million including add-ons for Nketiah but Arsenal have rejected it as they want more for the 25-year-old, with a fee in the region of £30-35m likely to get the deal done.
The Reds remain in talks with the representatives of the one-cap England international, and discussions with the North London club are very much ongoing too, with a new bid expected in the coming days.
Nketiah wants to leave Arsenal for regular playing time having found himself behind Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus in the pecking order, and he came close to joining Marseille earlier in the summer, agreeing personal terms with the Ligue 1 club.
However, they were unwilling to meet the demands of the Gunners, which made the move fall through, but it has given Forest a chance to swoop.
Crystal Palace are also keen on the Arsenal academy graduate, but the East Midlands club are favourites right now and will look to intensify their efforts over the coming days.
Forest will look to impress this season after finishing 17th last term and 16th in 2022-23, and adding the experience of Nketiah to their squad would come in handy.
He has played 116 Premier League games thus far, weighing in with 19 goals and five assists, and he will be keen to prove his quality elsewhere and boost his chances of establishing himself as a regular for the Three Lions.
