Nottingham Forest have not had the fairytale start to their Premier League return that supporters would have dreamed of and Steve Cooper will be spending the World Cup searching for ways to improve his team's performances on the pitch.

Indeed, Forest had started to build momentum and a good run of form over their last five league fixtures ahead of the prestigious international tournament, remaining unbeaten in four and picking up crucial points that have now left them just one point away from climbing out of the relegation zone.

As a result, it is all to play for in the second half of the season when they return to league action after Christmas, and Cooper will be given the golden opportunity to add even more strength and depth to his newly-built team when the January transfer window opens.

One of the most obvious problems the Tricky Trees have been facing is their inability to kill games with goal-scoring opportunities more often, so using the transfer window to acquire a natural finisher who can boost those goal contributions would be hugely advantageous to Forest.

Blackburn Rovers forward Ben Brereton Diaz is a player who Forest were linked with back in the summer and reigniting their interest in their former player could save the Garibaldi's season.

Over 21 Championship appearances this term, the £20m goal-machine - who was hailed "brilliant" by Josh Bunting - has scored nine goals, delivered one assist and created four big chances, as well as averaging one key pass and three shots at goal per game.

The Chile international has scored 41 goals and registered 13 assists over 150 appearances for Rovers, with a goal contribution every 174 minutes, proving that he is a consistent and reliable striker who could be a valuable asset to Cooper.

Nottingham Forest currently score a goal every 123 minutes, so finding a player who can boost their goal tally will be essential in their efforts to retain their Premier League status over the second half of the season.

With that being said, reuniting with Brereton Diaz would be a major coup for Forest if they could get a deal done in January, as having a player with a hunger for goals who is a huge attacking threat could be the difference between safety and relegation at the end of the season.