According to the Birmingham Mail, Nottingham Forest are battling with Championship rivals Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion and Middlesbrough to land the services of free-agent winger Bakary Sako.
The 30-year-old winger is currently a free agent after leaving Crystal Palace on a free transfer this summer, where he turned down a new deal in search of greener pastures elsewhere.
After notching eight goals in 50 appearances for the South London club, interest in the 21-time Malian international is understandably high, with Championship quartet Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Middlesbrough and West Brom all keeping tabs on the winger.
Nottingham Forest are a club who have invested heavily this summer, with an influx of foreign arrivals inflating an already bloated squad.
In terms of wide attacking options, the Reds already have Algerian international Hillal Soudani, summer signings Diogo Goncalves, Gil Dias and Joao Carvalho and former Huddersfield Town winger Joe Lolley, all of whom are competing for a starting berth.
Throw the emergence of academy graduate Matty Cash, who has already scored twice in just four appearances for the Reds this season, and it’s clear to see that Aitor Karanka’s squad is hardly short for options in the wide department.
Additionally, with summer spending at an all-time high, Financial Fair Play regulations could soon become a serious worry for the club and with Sako likely to demand a hefty wage in excess of the £30,000 per week offered at Palace, the Midlands club could be better off steering clear of this signing at any costs.
