The bombshell Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth swap transfer deal that could smash the January window
The January transfer window is open for business and clubs across the Premier League are assessing their options
Premier League strugglers Nottingham Forest registered a much-needed victory last time out in the league but will know there is still a lot more work to do if they are to secure their top-flight safety this season.
Sean Dyche’s side won 2-1 in a crunch relegation clash at West Ham United to move seven points clear of the bottom three, but were sent quickly crashing back down to earth by defeat on penalties at Championship Wrexham in the FA Cup.
The Forest boss inherited somewhat of a mix-and-match of a squad on his arrival at the City Ground, made up partly of Nuno Espirito Santo’s successful side of last season but with a sprinkling of summer arrivals, many of whom have struggled to settle in at the club. One summer arrival, Arnaud Kalimuendo, has already departed on loan to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Dyche may therefore look elsewhere this month to bring in the players he feels would best suit his system, including a surprise target from a Premier League rival.
Nottingham Forest ‘want’ Bournemouth ace Tavernier
As reported by Mail Sport, Nottingham Forest have made an ‘enquiry’ for Bournemouth winger Marcus Tavernier as Dyche looks to make improvements to his squad this January.
The 26-year-old has bagged five goals and three assists this season and has proven an important player to Cherries boss Andoni Iraola, with his role set only to increase following the sale of Antoine Semenyo. Reporting continues that Bournemouth insist Tavernier is ‘not for sale’, with his importance to the side amidst current squad injury issues emphasised.
With a straight sale likely to be difficult to pull off for Forest this month, the ambitious Midlands club and owner Evangelos Marinakis may look to alternative methods to get a deal over the line. This could involve offering a Forest player in exchange for Tavernier in a surprise swap deal.
Could Forest and Bournemouth secure a major swap deal?
In order to secure a January move for Tavernier, Forest could consider offering Bournemouth midfielder James McAtee in a swap deal to get a move over the line. McAtee, 23, has been out of favour at the City Ground this season following a £30 million summer transfer from Manchester City.
The England Under-21 star captained the Young Lions to Euros glory in June before getting his big move, which has not worked out thus far. McAtee has already been linked with a Forest exit and Bournemouth were one of five clubs stated to have ‘checked’ on his situation in December alongside the likes of Leeds United, also as per the Mail.
While McAtee is more of a playmaker than a winger and would not be a direct replacement for Tavernier, the City academy graduate is capable of playing across a range of attacking positions and at three years younger, has room to develop into a top player if give the lease to express himself at Vitality Stadium.
McAtee is likely to be keen to move on after making just seven league appearances this season, with just one solitary start. Bournemouth have a good blend of technically-gifted players in their midfield and he would fit in well under Iraola, while Forest will understand the benefit of sanctioning a permanent exit for the 23-year-old if it means securing a move for Tavernier. Considering the current value of both players, this could even be a straight swap if it were to go ahead.