Newcastle striker could have medical by Saturday ahead of St. James’ exit – report
By Danny Wright
Nottingham Forest are expected to hold advanced talks with striker Daryl Murphy ahead of a £2million switch from Newcastle, according to a report.
The Nottingham Post claims that the Reds have drafted a two-year contract for the 34-year-old, who helped the Magpies secure the Championship title last season.
It is understood that Murphy could potentially have a medical ahead of a transfer to the City Ground by Saturday if his contract talks go well in order to secure his St. James’ Park exit.
The report adds that the deal could be hijacked by either Sunderland and Birmingham, who are also eager to bolster their attacking options ahead of next season.
Premier League forward Murphy only made 18 appearances for Newcastle in his debut season at St. James’ Park as he suffered with injuries and had to deal with competing for a spot in the first-team with Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dwight Gayle.
Murphy scored six goals in his time on Tyneside, with one coming against his former club Ipswich.
Forest seem to be on the lookout for new attacking options following the big-money sale of Britt Assombalonga to Middlesbrough.
Football Insider Verdict
The strongest part of Mark Warburton’s squad was definitely his attack, but now the sale of Assombalonga has left a huge void that is in need of filling. Murphy simply isn’t the answer and offers no improvement on what the Reds’ options currently are. He knows the Championship well, but last season highlighted that he is too injury prone and too reliant on playing in front of Premier League quality midfielders to find the net. The Irishman simply won’t be a worthwile investment for Nottingham Forest, who need to splash around £10million of the money they received for Assombalonga on a new forward.
In other Nottingham Forest news, the Reds are lining up a £6million move for this second-tier attacker.
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