Nottingham Forest have now joined the race for an “outstanding” defender, and owner Evangelos Marinakis knows the director of his current club very well, according to a report.

Forest set sights on new defender after bolstering attacking options

Securing Morgan Gibbs-White’s future was arguably as important as making any new signing, with Forest no longer facing the difficult prospect of finding a replacement for the attacking midfielder, and they are also set to bolster their wide options.

The Tricky Trees are now set to sign Bologna’s Dan Ndoye, who is set to replace Anthony Elanga following the Sweden international’s move to Newcastle United, but the 24-year-old is not the only winger in Nuno’s sights.

That is according to reporter John Percy, who has revealed the Portuguese manager is now looking to seal a reunion with one of his former players alongside Ndoye.

As such, Nuno’s attacking options are now shaping up nicely, which means the 51-year-old’s next task at hand may be to improve his backline, and a new target has now entered the frame.

That is according to a report from Espreso, which reveals Nottitngham Forest have now entered the race for Red Star Belgrade defender Veljko Milosavljević, who has also attracted interest from the likes of AFC Bournemouth, Everton and Celtic.

Marinakis is said to be good friends with Red Star Belgrade director Zvezdan Terzić, which indicates the Forest owner could play a key role in the negotiations, and there is a feeling he could loan Milosavljević out to Olympiacos initially.

There is a huge chance the Red Star Belgrade defender leaves the Serbian club before September 1st, and his price tag is set to be around €10m – €15m (£9m – £13m).

"Outstanding" Milosavljević could go on to be top defender

The 18-year-old is yet to prove himself outside of Serbia, but the teenager’s exploits in his home country indicate he could go on to be a top defender, with scout Gianni Bellasi being left particularly impressed by his performances.

Bellasi has also praised the youngster for his “outstanding” positioning, and he has already managed to force himself into the Red Star Belgrade first team, racking up a total of 22 appearances.

That said, while Milosavljević is clearly a very talented young player, it would make sense to send him out on a loan deal initially, and a move to Olympiacos could be ideal, given that it would, of course, be very easy for Marinakis to arrange.