Chris Hughton's Nottingham Forest have been dealt a blow in their hopes of securing a move to bring Serdar Dursun to the City Ground.
What's the talk?
That's according to a report by German publication Bild (via Football League World), who claimed that the Darmstadt centre-forward, who is reportedly of interest to both Nottingham Forest and Derby County, has entered into talks with Hamburg ahead of a potential summer switch.
The two Championship clubs had been put on alert regarding the £1.35m-rated striker prior to the January transfer window, when it was claimed that the 29-year-old was keen to seal a move away from Darmstadt this summer upon the expiry of his contract at the Bundesliga 2 outfit.
Hughton must move
So far this season, Dursun has been in exceptional form over his 30 league appearances for Markus Anfang's side, with the striker bagging 21 goals and registering three assists for Darmstadt, as well as averaging a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.35, ranking him as the club's second-best performer in the German second tier.
This kind of goalscoring form is something which has been desperately lacking at the City Ground this season, with top scorer Lewis Grabban finding the back of the net just six times over his 27 league appearances, while Lyle Taylor has scored on just four occasions over his 38 Championship outings for 16th-placed Forest.
As such, Hughton is likely to be keen to invest in some fresh attacking talent over the course of the summer transfer window in a bid to mount a promotion push in the Championship next season. The 1.9m-tall (6 foot 3) Dursun would appear to be both an improvement on Forest's current options, as well as a cost-effective move for the club considering that the 29-year-old looks set to be available on a free transfer.
However, with recent reports suggesting that the centre-forward is entering into talks with Hamburg regarding a move, it would be most advisable for Forest to act quickly in order to try and seal a deal for the Turkish goal machine.
In other news: Hughton must sanction Forest swoop for 8-goal "winner" who fans would love - opinion