Nottingham Forest are reportedly interested in Argentine forward Alejo Veliz, as Steve Cooper seeks essential reinforcements ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
The Welshman has already captured the signature of Anthony Elanga from Manchester United this summer, however, latest reports suggest that the Reds could be in the mix to recruit further attacking options.
Could Nottingham Forest sign Alejo Veliz?
As reported by Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Forest are interested in Rosario Central striker Veliz, who is also said to be on the list of AC Milan.
The Sky Italia reporter has claimed that the Premier League side have made contact with the teenager, who is said to be valued at €15m (£13m) by his club.
Contracted to his boyhood club until 2025, all interested parties are expected to have to pay a fee in the region of the asking price for Rosario’s star talent with Di Marzio explaining that a fee slightly lower may be enough to pry the forward away.
How good is Alejo Veliz?
Once dubbed as “dynamite” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the starlet born in 2003 has caught the eye of clubs in Europe for good reason.
In 23 appearances in Liga Profesional, the teenager has netted 11 goals as well as impressing for his country this year.
At the U20 World Cup, the dynamic forward scored three goals in three starts for Argentina, securing an average match rating of 7.42 to showcase the importance of his presence for his country.
Praised by Mango for his “instinctive finishing”, the 19-year-old could be the perfect target for Cooper to aim for this window, in a hungry young talent that could hugely impact the scenes in the final third at the City Ground.
Last season, the Reds scored 38 goals in 38 games in a campaign that played out as a battle of survival up until the penultimate fixture in which they mathematically confirmed their stay in the top-flight following their promotion in 2022.
Integrating a player as lively as Veliz to the side could be fundamental for Forest to kick on and push away from being on the fence between the Championship and Premier League.
South American football expert Nathan Joyes backed the teenager to become one of the best, saying on Twitter that the natural goalscorer has “everything to make it to the very top”, adding that the club that captures him would pull off a “huge coup”.
For Forest, introducing the young striker could further the talents of key creator Morgan Gibbs-White, who shone in his debut season in Nottingham.
The 23-year-old averaged 1.91 key passes and 2.29 passes into the final third per 90 for Forest last season, as well as registering an impressive eight assists in a side lacking the spark to climb the table.
Also hailed as being the “complete forward” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 19-year-old could be the ideal forward for Gibbs-White to have ahead of him to explore further areas of his playmaking approach.
Kulig noted the goal machine’s strengths being in his finishing, athleticism, movement and link-up play, making him a potentially positive acquisition for Forest in the bid to get the most out of the talent they have on show.
The Reds must be more lethal next term if they are to progress up the table, which could be achieved in giving Gibbs-White a lively and clinical presence leading the line to point his wand at.