The Daily Mail reports that Burnley have offered Nottingham Forest £4m plus a player in an attempt to land former Rangers loanee Joe Worrall.
It’s suggested that Ben Gibson, a centre-back the Clarets themselves paid a whopping £15 million to sign from Middlesbrough in 2018 [BBC Sport], would be the player going the other way.
Worrall is a lifelong Forest fan and is under contract until 2024.
However, the club’s failure to gain promotion to the top flight last season could put some pressure on them to sell one or two key players and the report claims that Sheffield United are also interested in the 23-year-old.
Worrall played every single minute of Forest’s 2019/20 Championship campaign, as they ultimately missed out on a play-off place to Swansea City on goal difference.
Burnley offer cash plus player to Nottingham Forest for former Rangers loanee – Verdict
Worrall divided Rangers fans during his loan spell at Ibrox the season before last.
Occasionally, like in an Old Firm victory at home to Celtic and in a Europa League draw against Villarreal, the former England youth international looked the part in light blue.
He was prone to making mistakes in possession, though, and some supporters believe a howler at Rugby Park in January 2019 was the defining moment in the Gers’ failed title challenge.
Yet, apparently better for his stint in Scotland, Worrall showed much more consistency last season and interest from Premier League clubs is perhaps unsurprising.
On the surface, £4m cash plus a £15m player sounds like an excellent offer.
But Gibson only made one appearance for Burnley last season and Forest are likely to try to hold out for a bigger fee up front, especially given that there’s plenty of time remaining in the transfer window.
