Bristol Rovers set to sign 8-cap Nottingham Forest midfielder in transfer coup | OneFootball

Bristol Rovers sold star man Aaron Collins to Bolton Wanderers early on deadline day, but they are set to add some more creativity and international flair to their ranks in the final stages of the January transfer window.

Collins was the Gas' top scorer last season with 16 League One goals as well as 11 assists, but the 26-year-old's goals dropped off in the current campaign, with the Welshman finding the back of the net just three times.

With eight assists notched though, Rovers boss Matt Taylor has had to search far and wide for a Collins replacement with very little time - but he looks like he has found someone to fill the void.

And the player they are set to bring in to replace Collins' guile in the final third is Nottingham Forest starlet Brandon Aguilera.

The 20-year-old, who has already amassed eight caps for the Costa Rica national team, is currently contracted to Nottingham Forest and recently made his Premier League debut for the Tricky Trees, coming off the bench as a late substitute in January against Brentford, with his actual debut coming a few days earlier in the FA Cup against Blackpool.

However, according to journalist Kevin Jimenez - a reporter from the attacking midfielder's home nation - the youngster is now heading to the Memorial Stadium for the rest of the season.

Aguilera has picked up five goal contributions in seven Premier League 2 matches for Forest's under-21's this season, but now he will head out for more regular game-time in senior football with the Gas, and as he can play as a winger too, the youngster will almost certainly be the Collins replacement for Rovers.

Forest signed Aguilera back in 2022 from Costa Rican outfit Alajuelense, but they immediately loaned him back to Guanacasteca for the remainder of the year.

Having failed to appear for Portuguese outfit Estoril in the second half of last season in another loan deal, Aguilera has developed himself back at the City Ground and will now try and make an impact at League One level.

Even though Aguilera is still relatively unproven at club level, the fact he has played at a FIFA World Cup for Costa Rica means there is an excitement factor surrounding his imminent move to Bristol Rovers.

The Gas are set to add a diminutive attack-minded midfielder/winger to their ranks, and whilst he may not be a goalscorer like Collins was, it's clear that Taylor is looking for a creator rather than a regular net-finder.

And the fact that Nuno Espirito Santo has given Aguilera a couple of chances recently suggests that he is highly-rated at Forest, but Bristol Rovers should really benefit from being able to give him a chance at playing regular men's football for the very first time on English soil.