Manchester City are one of the clubs keeping tabs on Nottingham Forest fullback Ola Aina, according to reports.
The Nigerian international is out of contract at the end of the season and, while Forest are still trying to tie him down to a new deal, the former Chelsea defender will have offers if he wants to leave the City Ground on a free transfer.
TBRFootball claim that both City and Liverpool are considering signing Aina as a free agent this summer.
The Cityzens are expected to lose Kyle Walker on a permanent basis with it being reported in Italy that AC Milan are likely to trigger their option to buy the 34-year-old for €5m (£4.2m) when his loan deal comes to an end.
Liverpool, meanwhile, are weighing up their options if Trent Alexander-Arnold does leave Anfield for Real Madrid.
Guardiola is a big fan of Aina
Speaking before City’s defeat to Nottingham Forest earlier this month, manager Pep Guardiola namechecked the 28-year-old.
The Catalan praised Aina for being “an exceptional player” and noted that he is equally capable of playing in both fullback positions.
Guardiola is known for liking players who possess positional flexibility so his admiration for the Forest defender is not a complete surprise.
City have looked at other targets
The Premier League champions did consider tabling a formal bid for Juventus’s Andrea Cambiaso in January, but the Italian international’s €70m (£59m) asking price proved to be too steep.
There is a chance that the move could be revived in the summer, but Aina would certainly be a much cheaper alternative. As would Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremier Frimpong.
The ex-City academy player is expected to leave the Bundesliga side in the coming months with some reports suggesting that he could be on the market for as little as €40m (£33m).
Read our exclusive interview with Lee Sharpe as he praises Kyle Walker
