Nottingham Forest have angered Mainz with their first offer for centre-back Moussa Niakhate this summer, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Niakhate linked with move

Steve Cooper has a key summer ahead of him, as his team get ready for a return to the Premier League for the first time since 1999.

Forest have already secured the services of Dean Henderson and Taiwo Awoniyi, strengthening their options, and they have also been linked with a move for Niakhate.

The 26-year-old was a key man for Mainz last season, starting 29 Bundesliga matches and scoring four goals for good measure.

The Latest: Journalist drops new claim

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Taylor claimed that the German side were not happy with Forest's opening offer for Niakhate, putting the signing in doubt:

"Niakhate is an interesting one because last week when I was digging into that, I was told that Forest were prepared to offer £10 million, but the first offer they’ve gone in with was so low that it’s really annoyed Mainz, who ideally don’t want to sell the player to them anymore because they find it insulting."

The Verdict: Time to up the bid

This news is certainly a concern, with Niakhate someone who could add much-needed steel at the heart of Forest's defence ahead of a big step up in quality next season.

The hope is that Cooper can still get his man, however, with the club upping their offer in the coming weeks and reaching an agreement that seems suitable for all parties.

Niakhate could come in and provide stern competition for the likes of Scott McKenna and Ryan Yates, having averaged 2.2 clearances per game in the league last season, as well as 1.9 aerial duel wins.