As per a Turkish source, Nottingham Forest are now in advanced talks to sign Besiktas forward Cyle Larin.

The Lowdown: Facing competition

The Canadian first joined the Super Lig outfit in 2018 when he put pen to paper on a deal from Orlando City, but he is now set to leave the Vodafone Park Arena after failing to reach a new agreement upon the expiry of his current contract at the end of the month.

It was reported just last week that the Reds were interested in securing the 27-year-old’s services this summer, albeit with competition from Olympiacos in the race for his signature, and there has since been a fresh update which Forest fans might just want to hear.

The Latest: Forest in advanced talks for Larin

According to reports in Turkey (via Nottinghamshire Live), Larin could be ‘on the verge’ of making the move to the City Ground.

He is set to ‘sign for either’ Forest or the Greek giants, with both potential suitors named being owned by the same businessman, Evangelos Marinakis.

The source added that ‘talks between parties’ are believed to be at an ‘advanced level’, as the Ontario-born talent looks to find his future home.

The Verdict: Existing Forest connection could come in handy

If Forest manage to bring Larin to the Premier League, this would be a massive coup for Steve Cooper, who is now looking to bolster his squad with new additions as the club get ready for their first season back in the top flight after a 23-year absence.

The 50-cap Canadian, who was once praised as a “big surprise” by his former Orlando team-mate Kaka, had a standout campaign for Besiktas back in 2020/21. In that season, he netted a staggering 23 goals and provided six assists across all competitions (via Transfermarkt), which majorly contributed to them getting their hands on the Super Lig title just over a year ago.

The £9m-rated attacker already has a connection to Forest in the form of defender Richie Laryea, who is his international team-mate, so this could yet prove to be a pulling factor when it comes down to Larin deciding what his next destination will be.

In other news… a Sky Sports journalist has now revealed some ‘confirmed’ Nottingham Forest transfer news