Report: Nottingham Forest fall behind in race for 'brilliant' £25m-rated defender as Premier League rival prepares for bid
Today at 05:30 AM
It’s a strange feeling at Nottingham Forest right now and all for good reasons.
Forest are flying in the Premier League and the thought of Champions League football at the City Ground is a genuine possibility.
Usually at this point of the season, the Reds have dipped into the market and made a raft of signings in a bid to avoid relegation.
That could be a different story this time around though as Nuno Espirito Santo looks to put his faith in the players that have got Forest this far already.
Players are still being linked with the Reds though with one eye on the summer already but that could mean they miss out on targets in the short term with one Premier League club preparing a bid for a player of interest to the East Midlanders.
Crystal Palace transfer news: Eagles set to make El Hadji Malick Diouf bid
One of the biggest factors to Forest’s successful season is their defence. Only Arsenal and Liverpool have conceded fewer this season, but there is always room for improvement.
Reports have suggested that El Hadji Malick Diouf of Slavia Prague is of interest to Nuno Santo and co, but, there are others interested.
Liverpool have also reportedly registered their interest in the Senegal star but the latest reports from Alan Nixon suggest that Crystal Palace are preparing a bid for Diouf.
Diouf is said to be valued between the region of £25m and at the age of 20, is someone who could form part of a long-term defence.
The Slavia star plays left back and has been described as a brilliant dribbler and has nine goal involvements from 18 appearances this season – a healthy return for someone playing in a defensive position.
How does El Hadji Malick Diouf compare to Forest’s full-back options
Full-back has been an incredibly competitive position for Forest this season. Whilst Ola Aina is tearing it up on the right-hand side, Neco Williams and Alex Moreno have been vying for a spot at left-back.
Moreno, who is on loan from Aston Villa, has played just one minute of football since the Manchester City fixture in December and may return to his parent club in the summer.
Williams meanwhile has had a resurgence and taken the left-back slot and not put a foot wrong since.
In comparison to Diouf though, it’s clear the Senegal star would be a cut above.
| Player | Apps | Goals | Assists | Tackles | Blocks | Interceptions | Ground duels won | Aerial duels won |
| El Hadji Malick Diouf | 18 | 6 | 2 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 3.3 (48.4%) | 1.6 (64.4%) |
| Neco Williams | 19 | 0 | 1 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 3.4 (61.3% | 1.1 (62.5%) |
| Alex Moreno | 12 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 3 (46.2%) | 0.1 (11.1%) |
From an attacking perspective, Diouf ticks all the boxes with more goals and assists than Williams and Moreno combined.
Where he could do with some improvement is from a defensive perspective, which is where Wales international Williams flourishes.
Diouf does play in a side that dominate in the Czech league so would naturally defend less and despite Forest’s success, would have to step up that level of his game to become an all-round perfect acquisation.
