Report: Nottingham Forest send scouts to watch five-goal teenager, but over half the Premier League wants him
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Nottingham Forest are busy preparing for the January transfer window and it doesn’t look like much business will happen.
The Reds enjoyed a change in strategy on the recruitment front in the summer, with quality over quantity very much the order of the day.
Forest added 11 new players to the ranks with a number of those catching the eye so far this season.
Gary Neville has raved about Elliot Anderson, whilst Chris Wood has eight goals to his name from 11 starts this season.
Matz Sels in goal has been praised by Joe Hart and the defensive solidity has really caught the eye.
Forest are going to leave no stone unturned in their quest to bring new players to the club – and the scouting team were out and about over the weekend.
Nottingham Forest send scouts to watch El Hadji Malick Diouf
It was claimed last week that Forest were keen on Diouf but things could be ramping up a bit.
According to The Mirror, Diouf was the subject of vast interest from Premier League clubs when Slavia Prague took on Dynamo Budejovice at the weekend – with over half of the teams in attendance
Prague won 4-0 during that game and Diouf managed to stay on the field for the whole 90 minutes.
The left-sided player only moved to Prague in the summer for £2 million but he could make another transfer during the January window.
The club’s chief Jaroslav Tvrdik is keen to recoup over £15 million for Diouf, to eclipse the record transfer fee in the Czech Republic.
Forest have Alex Moreno currently occupying the left-back spot, with Harry Toffolo – and even Ola Aina – capable of backing him up.
However, Moreno is only on loan from Aston Villa, whilst Toffolo could leave when his contract expires next summer.
Diouf fits the profile of a signing Forest should be making
The beauty of signing Diouf is that he’s only 19 and has already shown he can play in a number of positions.
He’s been operating as a left-sided wing-back but he can also play as a conventional left-back or as a left-winger.
| Name | El Hadji Malick Diouf |
| Appearances | 14 |
| Goals | 5 |
| Assists | 3 |
| Cards | 5 |
Perhaps the biggest and best quality about Diouf coming to Forest, however, would be that he would come as a bright young talent with a point to prove.
It would be the first time he’d played in a top European league and even if he cost over £15 million, he’d hold significant resale value.
With over half of the Premier League keen on Diouf, signing him won’t be easy.
If Forest can steal a march on their rivals, however, the Reds would be getting a very exciting signing over the line.
