Nottingham Forest are plotting a shock move for Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko in the summer transfer window, journalist Luca Bianchin has claimed.

The Lowdown: Midfield addition needed?

Steve Cooper will be delighted with his business this summer, with the Reds signing a whole host of exciting players from Neco Williams to Taiwo Awoniyi.

Forest's midfield could still do with reinforcements, however, as highlighted by their apparent raid of Atalanta's ranks, eyeing up both Remo Freuler and Ruslan Malinovskyi.

Yet another midfielder has now appeared as a potential target, with the transfer window ending in just under three weeks.

The Latest: Forest eye up Bakayoko move

Taking to Twitter on Thursday, Bianchin, who covers Milan for La Gazzetta dello Sport, claimed that Forest want to sign Bakayoko from Chelsea, ending his loan spell in Italy:

"Tiemoue Bakayoko is an option for #NFFC. Bakayoko could end his two-year loan at #Milan to sign with Forest. Talks ongoing to find an agreement on the player’s wages."

The Verdict: Is he good enough?

The 27 year-old enjoyed a triumphant 2021/22 season for Milan, winning the Serie A title and playing a decent squad role, making 14 league appearances in total.

While he would likely be a strong acquisition for Forest, given his pedigree as a newly-crowned title winner and the fact that he has won one cap for a France side littered with quality, he has struggled in the Premier League before.

His 43 appearances for Chelsea have been forgettable, hence the loan spells at Milan, Monaco and Napoli, although he has matured as a player over that time. Forest would, therefore, be wise to try a loan move, arguably getting the best years of his career without the risk of being saddled with a potentially expensive flop.