By Joe Ellis

26th Jun, 2022 | 6:43am

Nottingham Forest close to double swoop for Neco Williams and Morgan Gibbs-White - report

Nottingham Forest are closing in on a double transfer move to sign Neco Williams and Morgan Gibbs-White, according to The Sun.

The newly-promoted Reds have already signed Taiwo Awoniyi from Union Berlin in a club-record deal and brought Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson to the club on loan but want more additions for their Premier League return.

Williams, 21, spent the second half of the 2021-22 season on loan at eventual Championship winners Fulham but would prefer a switch to the City Ground this term with no spot in the Liverpool squad looking likely to appear for him.

The Welsh international would cost around £15million to snatch away from Jurgen Klopp’s double cup winners but they would have to pay even more to sign Wolves’ 22-year-old attacking midfielder.

Gibbs-White was also a loanee in the second tier last term, helping Sheffield United to the playoffs where they came unstuck against Steve Cooper’s side and the Forest boss could spend close to £20million to take him away from Molineux.

Unproven

It’s all well and good Cooper trying to bring in some of the Championship’s standout youngsters for the assault on the top flight but, as everybody knows, you can’t do it all with kids.

At some point, Nottingham Forest are going to need to focus on getting experience through the door to blend with the enthusiastic youth already at the City Ground.

Without the crucial guidance of someone who has been there and done it time and time again, Forest will very quickly find out how tough the Premier League can be and their long-awaited return could be short-lived.

That’s not to say that they can’t go out and buy Williams, Gibbs-White or both if they believe they have the money to do so but they have to keep in mind that they need to have some transfer budget left over for a wise old head to lead the Reds.

In other Nottingham Forest news, the heated race to sign Djed Spence appears to have been decided as the Reds make their final decision.