Sabri Lamouchi could look to sign at least one striker this summer after Hillal Soudani and Apostolos Vellios left Nottingham Forest, but the Reds need to find a prolific centre-forward who won’t break the bank. Gary Hooper might be the ideal signing as he’s available on a free transfer after leaving Sheffield Wednesday.
The 31-year-old spent three-and-a-half years at Wednesday, scoring and creating 43 goals in 89 games in all competitions. Hooper was out of action for the majority of last season, but he did return in late-March and contributed two goals in six Championship appearances.
Forest have Tyler Walker, Karim Ansarifard, Lewis Grabban and Daryl Murphy to choose from in attack, but Murphy’s future may be uncertain after he struggled for form and playing time in 2019. The Reds could benefit from another striker as a result, but whether Lamouchi has Hooper on his radar remains to be seen.
The Reds have already signed Sammy Ameobi on a free transfer from Bolton Wanderers and are likely to target more free agents to build their squad ahead of next season. In May, David Fowler of The Sun revealed that Celtic, Aston Villa and Fulham were showing interest in Hooper, so Forest may have to move quickly to get their man.
