Nottingham Forest are set to make a new bid for Rosario Central striker Alejo Veliz, who has informed his current club he wants to leave this summer, according to reports from Argentina.
What's the latest Nottingham Forest transfer news?
Forest are in hot pursuit of a new striker, having recently been linked with a swoop for Strasbourg's Habib Diallo, with Steve Cooper making the 28-year-old, who is valued at around £20m, one of his "top priorities".
The manager does have some other attacking targets in mind, with reports circulating that a deal for Alexis Sanchez was in the offing, but transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has recently quashed those rumours, saying:
"Nottingham Forest never had any talk or conversation with Alexis Sanchez — no negotiations taking place at this stage despite reports. Forest remain focused on Dean Henderson and Ismail Jakobs deals."
Veliz has also emerged as a transfer target for the Reds, with recent reports detailing they have "initiated contacts" with Rosario Central over a move to the Premier League, although he is also attracting interest from European giants AC Milan.
Forest have now taken the next steps in their pursuit of the forward, with a new offer set to be made, having had a bid of £7.8m rejected last weekend, as Rosario Central are looking to hold out for an offer close to his release clause of £11.7m (Argentine media, via Sport Witness).
There is no mention of the fee the Tricky Trees are willing to offer, but they have been handed a potential boost, as the 19-year-old has informed his current club he wants to leave this summer.
The Argentine side are aware they cannot keep rejecting offers, and they are willing to facilitate a move, but they are set to request that the youngster returns to the club on loan until the end of the year.
Who is Alejo Veliz?
The Argentinian starlet has burst onto the scene with Rosario Central over the past two seasons, but his 2023 campaign was by far his most prolific, scoring a total of 11 goals in 23 Liga Professional appearances.
At international level, the centre-forward has also looked very impressive, scoring three goals in four games at the U20 World Cup, showcasing that he could soon make a push for the first team and earn his first international cap.
It is unclear whether Cooper is targeting the Rosario Central star as someone to immediately come into the first-team setup at the City Ground, however he is showing all the signs that he could be ready to make the step-up to the Premier League.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has described the marksman as a "complete forward", while also praising him for his aerial prowess, finishing and movement, also likening him to former Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Raul Jimenez.
The striker only averaged 0.5 key passes per game in the 2023 campaign, ranking him ninth in the Rosario Central squad, which indicates he is an out-and-out striker, whose main focus is goals.
That is by no means a bad thing, as Forest are in need of some extra firepower in attack, scoring just 38 league goals last season, and Veliz could be a fantastic long-term addition to the squad.
