Nottingham Forest have made contact to sign Espanyol defender Cesar Montes this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Successors needed

Steve Cooper already has Joe Worrall, Felipe, Steve Cook, Willy Boly, Scott McKenna and Moussa Niakhate available as centre-back options but five of those have now entered the final 18 months of their contract meaning that successors could soon be needed.

The Mexican international only joined Diego Martinez’s side in January, but having already put in some impressive performances over his eight appearances, has caught the eye of two potential suitors in the Premier League.

The Latest: Forest make contact

According to Spanish outlet La Grada (via Sport Witness) Forest and Wolves both ‘have asked’ Espanyol about signing Montes ahead of the 2033/24 season.

The Reds have ‘not increased’ their interest to anything more official yet with there still being months to go before the window opens, but their target does have a €30m (£26m) release clause included in his deal.

The Verdict: Perfect for Cooper

Montes is a seasoned professional having made 273 senior appearances throughout his career and he would be the perfect defensive candidate to slot into Cooper’s backline.

The Hermosillo native currently averages 5.5 clearances and 1.8 aerial wins per 90 minutes in La Liga, highlighting the strong physical presence he provides (WhoScored).

The Adidas-sponsored gem also has an outstanding success rate of 100% for dribblers tackled, which is exactly the profile of no-nonsense player the boss should target.

Barcelona manager Xavi has claimed that Montes has a lot of ‘potential’, so should the opportunity to sign him arise, Forest have a no-brainer of a decision to make.