Nottingham Forest are weighing up a potential summer move for free agent Cheikhou Kouyate this summer, according to journalist Santi Aouna.

The Lowdown: Forest still looking for midfielder

Steve Cooper has enjoyed a highly productive summer in the transfer market, bringing in lots of exciting new faces following their return to the Premier League.

Saturday's 2-0 defeat away to Newcastle United was proof that it isn't going to be easy for Forest to stay up this season, however, and a new central midfielder remains a priority as the club chase a deal for Morgan Gibbs-White.

Now, a fresh update suggests that the Reds may have more than one central midfield player on their shortlist...

The Latest: Kouyate linked with move

According to Foot Mercato's Aoune on Twitter [via Sport Witness], Forest are interested in signing Kouyate, who is currently a free agent after leaving Crystal Palace at the end of last season.

It is stated that 'following the failure in the Gueye dossier, Nottingham Forest could look into Cheikhou Kouyate', although 'Turkish clubs are also interested'.

The Verdict: Still a force?

In truth, Kouyate doesn't feel as exciting an option as some past midfielder targets - at 32, he arguably isn't the player he was and there would be concern that he wouldn't be able to offer his past energy and dominance in the middle of the park.

That being said, Kouyate possesses huge experience, including 258 Premier League appearances and 82 caps for Senegal, so he could be a good foil for younger figures around him.

Patrick Vieira hailed the 6 foot 2 ace for the way he 'wins so many balls' during his time at Palace, and his destructive tendencies in the middle could actually partner up well with a more creative signing like Gibbs-White - he's won a whopping 554 tackles during his career in England's top flight.

The 2022 Africa Cup of Nations winner wouldn't necessarily come in as a key starter every week but he could be a strong squad player - the fact that he would arrive on a free transfer would make it less of a gamble, too.