Nottingham Forest have already made 12 signings this summer but are showing no signs of slowing down as the club sets out to secure yet another transfer to improve their Premier League squad this season.
What's the latest?
According to The Daily Mail, Nottingham Forest are interested in signing Olympique de Marseille striker Bamba Dieng.
As per the report, the newly-promoted club are keen to bolster their forward line and are targeting the Senegalese forward this summer to complete their team.
Imagine him & Johnson
Following the departure of Lewis Grabban and with Keinan Davis returning to Aston Villa following his loan spell at The City Ground, it is fair to say that the Forest forward line has been weakened.
Not only have Forest had their fair share of outgoings, when you look back to the performance against Newcastle United last weekend it is no wonder Cooper is keen to sign Dieng over the final weeks of the transfer window. The Garibaldi put in a less than inspiring performance in terms of attacking and creativity in front of goal.
On their visit to St James' Park in the first game of the season, Cooper's side created no big chances and failed to register a single shot on target over their first game of the season, something that will need to be drastically improved upon if the club are intending to retain their status in the top flight.
In Ligue 1 last season, Dieng gave glimpses of his quality in the Marseille team, contributing to the French club's second-place finish behind champions Paris Saint-Germain.
The 22-year-old striker scored seven goals, delivered one assist, created four big chances and took 1.5 shots per game, but Dieng wasn't just performing at club level.
The £15m-valued talent played his part in the first-ever African Cup of Nations victory for Senegal making five appearances and scoring a goal in the round of 16 against Cape Verde, despite only being on the pitch for 20 minutes.
Dieng has even been compared to fellow African player and Premier League legend Didier Drogba, with El Hadji Diouf making the comparison between the young striker and Drogba's style of play in the forward position (via RMC Sport):
"I knew him with the national youth team. He is a striker, a Didier Drogba. All he knows how to do is score goals,
“If he has three opportunities, he can convert two. He's a striker who ends up in the box."
Cooper could even form a fantastic strike partnership between Dieng and fellow young talent Brennan Johnson who last season caught the attention of the football world following his fantastic attacking displays in the Championship.
The 2022 Championship Young Player of the Year is renowned for his pace, creativity, dribbling and ball control, attributes that could be useful for a player like Dieng who likes to focus on his finishing inside the box.
Last term, the Welshman scored a mighty 19 goals, proving he could be a devastating partner for Dieng in the final third. He could also supply the Marseille forward with a bucket load of assists, elevating the potential new signing's ability to find the net thanks to the nine assists he also registered throughout 2021/22.
Thus, if he can continue to be the creative force in the Forest team that can serve the striker the shot-creating actions needed for the Senegal star to finish off in front of goal, it could be a fantastic piece of business for the club. That said, they will need to act fast as it is reported that Newcastle United, Leeds United, West Ham United and Celtic are also interested in the striker this summer.