According to Football Insider, Nottingham Forest have submitted a loan-to-buy offer for Celtic transfer target Siriki Dembele, and it could have big consequences for the linked-away Odsonne Edouard.

What's the story?

Reports in recent weeks have claimed that Neil Lennon's side are interested in signing the Peterborough forward, but it appears Championship side Forest have made the first move in the race to sign him.

Football Insider claim that Dembele wants to leave Peterborough this month, and that Forest have made a proposal that would see the 24-year-old join them on a more permanent basis at the end of the season.

The report adds that the bid is worth around £250k for a player who is out of contract in the summer.

Bye-bye Edouard

With Odsonne Edouard's long-term future at Celtic still very much unclear - reports have claimed the club have slashed his asking price in this January transfer window - Nick Hammond will surely be on the look-out for a potential replacement for the club's striker.

And in Dembele - the older brother of the Hoops' very own Karamoko - they could find someone who could well fill the boots of the Frenchman.

Dembele had spent a lot of time playing out wide on the flanks, before Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson made the tweak of moving him infield into the number nine role.

And since then, it's safe to say he's been very impressive. This season in League One, he's played 22 games in total, but 15 of them have come up front. In those games as the Posh's starting striker, he's managed five goals and five assists, including a dazzling hat-trick against Shrewsbury.

The tactical switch is something Ferguson has talked up too, saying: "But the boy has been absolutely outstanding since realising he can play as a central striker. He destroyed Ipswich last weekend with a goal and two assists."

The 5 foot 8 ace would offer Celtic some versatility up front given he can play anywhere across the line, and it's now up to Hammond as to whether he can get a deal done.