Nottingham Forest will always be grateful to Steve Cooper for his contributions during his two-and-a-half years as manager.
The 44-year-old brought Premier League football back to the City Ground for the first time in 23 years, taking the club from the bottom of the second tier to the top flight in just a few months.
Cooper’s reputation soared during the 2022/23 season when he managed to keep the club in the Premier League against the odds.
He was sacked in December last year and replaced by Nuno Espirito Santo. Cooper then took the Leicester City job earlier this summer.
Now, Cooper is a strong competitor in the transfer market as Forest and Leicester both vie for the same player.
Nottingham Forest battle Steve Cooper for Alexis Saelemaekers
Forest is set to sign Nikola Milenkovic soon, with a medical already scheduled for the 6ft 5in central defender.
However, the Reds aren’t done yet, and links to new players are emerging more frequently.
Saelemaekers is now attracting interest from several clubs, including Forest, Leicester, and newly-promoted Ipswich Town, according to Calcio Mercato.
AC Milan is willing to sell the player for between £8.5 and £12.5 million, making his signing relatively straightforward.
Who is Alexis Saelemaekers?
The 25-year-old usually plays on the left wing but can operate on either flank.
He started his career in the Anderlecht youth academy and made 64 appearances for their first team.
In 2020, AC Milan signed him, and he has since scored 10 goals and provided 14 assists in 140 appearances for the club.
Last season, Milan loaned him to Bologna, where he had a memorable season.
Playing alongside Forest midfielder Remo Freuler, Bologna surprised Serie A by qualifying for the Champions League at the expense of Roma and Lazio.
At Bologna, he made 32 appearances, primarily on the left wing, scoring four goals and registering three assists.
Saelemaekers could be valuable for Forest
It would be great if Forest could outbid Leicester and Ipswich for a player with 12 Belgium caps.
According to Squawka, Saelemaekers completed more take-ons than Anthony Elanga last season, with Callum Hudson-Odoi registering just three more.
The only potential issue is that Saelemaekers is another right-footed winger in the squad.
While Forest needs another winger, a left-footed player might be more suitable since both Elanga and Hudson-Odoi are right-footed.
Nonetheless, with the quoted transfer fee, signing the 25-year-old Saelemaekers, who is approaching his prime years, would be a smart move if they can convince him to join.