3 reasons why Nottingham Forest must do all they can to push through move for defensive target in January | OneFootball

Steve Cooper will be preparing for his first transfer window as Nottingham Forest boss next month, with new recruits expected at the City Ground.

After a positive start, recent results have shown the former Swansea chief that he needs to improve the squad, and it has been reported that centre-back John Souttar is a target after the Reds sent scouts to watch him in action for Hearts against Celtic in the week.

Even though the Jambos lost, Souttar did well on the whole, which will have impressed those watching on.

The Scotland international is out of contract in the summer so he may want to assess his options, and there is a lot of interest in the defender. However, here we outline THREE reasons why Forest must do all they can to sign Souttar in January…

He’s a quality player

Firstly, and most importantly, the East Midlands outfit would be getting a player who can make a big impact in the Championship.

Souttar is physically strong, comfortable on the ball and reads the game well, so, even though Forest are decent at the back, he could still improve the XI.

A play-off finish this season still isn’t totally unrealistic and bringing in someone like Souttar in January is only going to help Forest’s chances of breaking into the top six come May.

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He will be available at a knockdown price

With his deal expiring, there may be a temptation to wait and bring the player in on a free.

But, because of that contract situation, it wouldn’t take a big fee to do a deal in the New Year, so it’s something Forest should consider.

Cooper isn’t going to have a massive budget to reshape the squad, so it’s about finding bargains if possible, and Souttar fits the bill.

They may miss out on him in the summer

Following on from that, if the defender does run his deal down, Forest’s chances of landing Souttar may decrease.

He instantly becomes a more attractive option to others if they don’t have to pay Hearts a penny, whilst clubs are more open to doing business in the summer when more deals happen.

So, Forest could get in ahead of their rivals by sorting this swiftly in January.