Having guided his side to safety in the Championship, Nottingham Forest manager Chris Hughton will now be looking at ways to improve his squad ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

Whilst the Reds currently share the fifth-best defensive record in the second-tier with promotion hopefuls AFC Bournemouth having conceded just 43 goals this season, a lack of consistency in an attacking sense has hampered their progress in recent months.

Only three sides have scored fewer goals than Forest in the second-tier as their creativity has let them down on a regular basis.

Considering that they need to find a solution to this particular issue during the upcoming transfer window, it is hardly a surprise that the Reds are being linked with a move for a midfielder who is capable of unlocking defences.

According to Football Insider, Forest are reportedly weighing up a bid for Gillingham captain Kyle Dempsey who has managed to deliver a host of impressive displays in League One this season.

Despite being valued at £270k on Transfermarkt, it is understood that the Reds may need to table a bid in the region of £500k to £750k in order to secure his services this summer.

As well as providing four assists for his team-mates, Dempsey has managed to find the back of the net on eight occasions in 38 league appearances for a Gillingham side who are on course to secure a top-ten finish in the third-tier under the guidance of Steve Evans.

GIVEMESPORT's Joshua Cole says...

When you consider that Dempsey has managed to deliver the goods on a consistent basis for Gills this season, it could turn out to be a clever move by Forest if they opt to swoop for him this summer.

As well as averaging an impressive WhoScored match rating of 7.0 in League One, the midfielder ranks in the top-five at Gillingham when it comes to key passes per game (1), dribbles per match (0.7) and pass completion (75.4%).

Although Dempsey only managed to provide four direct goal contributions during his previous spell in the Championship with Huddersfield Town, he has improved as a player since leaving the John Smith's Stadium and thus may now be ready to feature on a regular basis at this level.

Having already aided the development of Alex Mighten and James Garner since being handed over the reins at the City Ground by giving this duo the chance to express themselves in the second-tier, there is no reason why Hughton cannot mould Dempsey into a classy operator if he decides to sign him.