Nottingham Forest have submitted a bid for Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar, according to a French outlet.

The Lowdown: Freuler first?

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano reported on Thursday that the Reds are set to sign Remo Freuler from Atalanta after a deal was agreed between the two clubs, but it appears that he might not be the only fresh face Steve Cooper wants in the middle of the park.

The 24-year-old Aouar has now entered the final 12 months of his contract at the Groupama Stadium, meaning that an exit is likely if the Ligue 1 side want to cash in, and it sounds like a move to the Premier League could well be on the cards.

The Latest: Forest favourites to sign Aouar

French outlet L’Equipe (via Sport Witness) claim that Forest have ‘made a first offer’ for Aouar, having ‘raced into the picture’ to secure his signature.

The source states that whilst the Reds aren’t the ‘most expected destination’, they are now the ‘most concrete possibility’.

It’s reported that the Midlands outfit have been ‘in contact with Aouar’s agents for several days’, though the nature of the opening bid is currently ‘too far’ from Lyon’s valuation.

Despite this, the player is ‘not closed’ to the idea of moving to England, with ‘discussions’ with Forest set to continue ‘in the coming days’.

The Verdict: Creative contribution

The fact that Forest aren’t giving up on signing Aouar just shows how serious they are about getting this deal over the line, and rightly so as he would be a brilliant addition to the starting XI looking at his numbers.

The Frenchman, hailed an ‘impeccable’ player by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, has netted 40 goals and provided 35 assists during his time at Lyon, via Transfermarkt, and has the versatility to play out wide as well as centrally.

This desire to contribute in the attacking areas of the pitch will be like music to the ears for Cooper, and Aouar could create a brilliant new partnership with Freuler if they both get unveiled as Forest players in the weeks ahead.