Nottingham Forest could be set to face competition in their bid to sign Brighton and Hove Albion striker Neal Maupay, according to reports.

What's the word?

As per talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, the Reds have now been joined by fellow Premier League clubs Everton and Fulham in the race for the Frenchman's signature, throwing into doubt his potential move to the City Ground.

Taking to Twitter about the 26-year-old's future, the transfer insider wrote: "Could be a late twist in Neal Maupay's move from #BHAFC to #NFFC with both #EFC and #FulhamFC pushing for the Frenchman."

The former Brentford man - who joined the Seagulls in 2019 - had looked set to link up with Steve Cooper's side, with reports suggesting that Forest had 'agreed a deal in principle' regarding a potential £15m switch for the forward.

Cooper could be gutted

Although a move is certainly not off the table at present, there are potentially alarms bells ringing at the City Ground, with Cooper likely to be gutted if Forest fail to get the deal over the line.

While the 42-year-old has already moved to bolster his frontline with the additions of Taiwo Awoniyi and Emmanuel Dennis, in Maupay he would be able to secure a player with far more English top-flight experience, with the former France under-21 international having spent three seasons in the Premier League so far.

That spell at the Amex Stadium has seen the Versailles native post a respectable haul of 26 goals and seven assists in 102 league games, having netted at least eight top-flight goals in each of the past three campaigns.

Whilst not massively prolific, the £16.2m-rated ace has offered a steady supply of goals for Graham Potter's side in recent times, having previously bagged 41 goals and provided 14 assists in 95 games during his spell with Brentford in the Championship.

Not just a threat in the final third, the 5 foot 8 hotshot has also shown his willingness to put in the hard yards in a defensive sense, as he ranks in the top 9% for pressures made among those in his position across Europe's top five leagues - a record far better than that of Dennis (top 27%) and Awoniyi (top 53%).

As such, he could well provide a different option in attack for Cooper this season, with the promotion-winning coach clearly wanting a vast array of alternatives as he bids to avoid a swift return to the Championship.

Maupay would perhaps not be the most high-profile or notable addition of the summer at the City Ground, although he would no doubt have a significant role to play for the Garibaldi this season if Forest can get their move for him back on track.

Only time will tell where his future lies...