Nottingham Forest want to sign Ainsley Maitland-Niles from Arsenal this summer.
The full-back, 24, has just one year left on his deal and is looking for a move away to secure first-team football.
Back in 2020, he starred in the Gunners’ FA Cup triumph and was part of Roma’s squad which won the Europa Conference League last season.
According to The Mirror, Forest manager Steve Cooper wants to bolster his side after being promoted to the Premier League and has checked the availability of Maitland-Niles who he sees as the ‘perfect addition’.
Arsenal are likely to be open to the idea of selling the Englishman with manager Mikel Arteta keen to cut the wage bill at the Emirates in recent years.
The likes of Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac all had their contracts terminated as the club looked at ways to save money.
However, the plethora of departures has left the north Londoners with a shallow squad and, having qualified for the Europa League next season, Arteta needs to add to his options.
The Spaniard will reportedly prioritise a striker, central midfielder and central defender this summer but faces a battle with Premier League rivals interested in their top targets such as Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus.
Speaking earlier this year, Arteta revealed he wants 22 top quality outfield players and three goalkeepers for next term.
But the club’s failure to qualify for the Champions League is believed to have left them needing to manage their resources.
Arteta said: ‘We are going to have certain resources, not unlimited resources, and with the resources we have to play and do what we have to do in the best possible way.
‘We don’t know what the rest will have but obviously it will be challenging because now it is not a top three, it is a top eight, but that is why we have to find a way to do again what we did last summer.’
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