Nottingham Forest have reportedly identified Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko as a potential summer transfer target.
The newly-promoted side have already made 12 signings during the current window, but head coach Steve Cooper has suggested that he has no plans to stop trying to strengthen his squad before the start of September.
If reports are to be believed, Switzerland international Remo Freuler is on the brink of moving to the City Ground from Atalanta BC.
However, the centre of midfield will remain an area of concern for Cooper, who watched his side comfortably defeated by Newcastle United on the opening day of the new Premier League campaign.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Luca Bianchin, the East Midlands outfit are contemplating whether to try to negotiate a deal for Bakayoko.
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The Frenchman has been out of favour at Stamford Bridge for a number of years, instead spending the last four seasons on loan on the continent.
Last summer, Chelsea agreed a deal with AC Milan where the 27-year-old would spent the next two campaigns on loan at San Siro.
However, it has been recently alleged that the Serie A champions would be happy to cut short that agreement with Bakayoko regarded as no more than a backup option.
Bianchin claims that discussions are currently taking place to establish whether it is feasible for Bakayoko to instead move to Forest over the coming weeks.
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Any issue is likely to involve the size of Bakayoko's wages at Stamford Bridge, the percentage that Milan are currently paying and whether the player's income would fit into the wage structure at last season's Championship playoff winners.
Bakayoko still has two years remaining on his contract, but Chelsea are unlikely to stand in the way of a permanent exit if the terms on offer prove to be favourable.
Milan reportedly have an obligation to purchase Bakayoko in the future, something else which will need to be taken into consideration when negotiations progress.
Last season, Bakayoko played a total of 493 minutes as Milan won the Serie A title, while 60 appearances have been made across two loan spells with I Rossoneri.
Forest have also recently been credited with an interest in Emerson Palmieri, another player who could be allowed to leave Stamford Bridge this summer.
Darren Plant
