Everton are reportedly fighting Tottenham Hotspur to sign James Garner, as Nottingham Forest pull out of the race for his signature.

The Lowdown: Impressed at Forest

Garner impressed a lot during his loan spell at Forest from Manchester United last season, and so it is not a surprise to see him linked with a move to a Premier League club.

Hailed for his 'unbelievable' set piece delivery by former Forest teammate Ryan Yates, Garner managed an impressive eight goals and ten assists in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt), helping Steve Cooper's team win promotion up to the top flight.

The Latest: Everton in race

As per Football Insider, Forest are out of the running to sign Garner, following his successful loan spell at the City Ground.

It leaves just the Toffees and Spurs in the race for his signature, with United demanding between £14-15m to sell him before the transfer window closes.

The Verdict: Prioritise a striker

The Goodison Park outfit should be prioritising signing a striker first before they bring in another central midfielder in Garner.

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They have already signed Amadou Onana from Lille, and look set to announce the capture of Idrissa Gueye from PSG, so while Garner created more chances than any Reds player last season, his signing should not be the first port of call.

They have still not brought a new striker in following the injury to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and so this must be their priority before recruiting anyone else.