Nottingham Forest will be looking to end the current campaign on a positive note this weekend by securing all three points in their clash with Preston North End at the City Ground.

Under the guidance of manager Chris Hughton, the Reds managed to retain their Championship status for another year last month after briefly flirting with the prospect of relegation.

Set for a busy summer of transfer activity, Forest may need to find a replacement for James Garner who is set to return to Manchester United later this month upon the expiry of his loan spell.

Since joining the Reds on a temporary basis earlier this year, the midfielder has emerged as a key player for the club as he has made a real impression in the Championship.

Whilst United are unlikely to let Garner leave the club on a permanent deal during the upcoming transfer window, he may be in line for another loan as Rangers, Brighton & Hove Albion and Norwich City have all been touted as potential suitors by his agent Steven Beck.

Making reference to his current Forest team-mate, Ryan Yates has admitted that he would love to see him return to the club next season and has tipped him to become a regular at Premier League level in the not-too distant future.

Speaking to the Nottingham Post about Garner, the Reds academy graduate said: "He's a quality player.

"Teams are going to want him of course they are, if you're performing well at his age.

"He's a Manchester United player, so it wouldn't be a surprise if other teams want him.

"It's completely down to him - what's best for his development.

"He'll eventually want to play consistently in the Premier League one day.

"Of course we'd love to keep him.

"We want quality players in every position, especially if we're fighting at the right end of the table next year - if he came back, that would only benefit us."

GIVEMESPORT's Joshua Cole says...

Despite only being at the club since February, Garner has made a fantastic impact for Forest and is very much a mainstay in Hughton's starting eleven.

As well as scoring three goals from his defensive midfield position in 19 league appearances, the midfielder is currently averaging a WhoScored match rating of 6.93 in the second-tier which is the highest total recorded by a Reds player this season.

Given that United have the likes of Fred, Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic at their disposal, Garner may be forced to watch on from the sidelines during the upcoming campaign if he stays at Old Trafford.

Therefore, another temporary move a club like Forest may be exactly what he needs at this stage of his career as playing regular first-team football will do wonders for his development.

If the Reds are not in contention to sign Garner, it is imperative that Hughton drafts up a list of replacements for him as a failure to do so may lead to another season of struggle in the Championship.