Whereas many of Nottingham Forest's Championship rivals have decided to make a host of signings during the current transfer window, it has been a relatively quiet period at the City Ground in terms of incomings.
Since securing the services of goalkeeper Ethan Horvath earlier this month, the Reds have yet to back up this particular move despite being linked with a number of players.
One of the individuals who has recently emerged on Forest's radar is Lee Buchanan.
A report from The Sun journalist Alan Nixon last week revealed that the Reds had submitted a bid for the Derby County defender which was subsequently rejected by Wayne Rooney's side.
Buchanan is also attracting a considerable amount of interest from Celtic who are keeping tabs on his current situation at Pride Park ahead of a potential swoop.
With the defender's contract set to expire next year, this summer represents an opportunity for Derby to seal a respectable fee for him.
In a fresh update concerning Buchanan, it has now been revealed that Forest have stepped up their transfer pursuit by submitting an improved offer for him.
However, according to Nixon, this latest bid has also been turned down by their arch-rivals who are determined to keep the academy graduate at the club.
Whilst Derby's displays in the Championship last season were extremely underwhelming, Buchanan managed to illustrate some real signs of promise for his side at this level.
The defender helped his side avoid relegation to the third-tier by making 35 appearances in the Championship.
Buchanan also featured on two occasions in the League Cup as the Rams suffered a second-round exit at the hands of Preston North End.
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With this particular transfer saga rumbling on, it will be fascinating to see whether Forest are able to convince Derby to part ways with one of their most prized assets in the coming weeks.
Having cut ties with Yuri Ribeiro last month, the Reds need to draft in a new left-back who will be able to provide competition for Gaetan Bong and thus a swoop for Buchanan makes sense.
Although he did lack consistency at times in the second-tier last season, Buchanan still ranked in the top-six at Derby for aerial duels won per game (2.9) and tackles won per game (1.6), as per WhoScored.
Providing that Forest are able to beat Celtic to the defender's signature, there is every chance that Buchanan could go on to thrive under the guidance of Hughton who knows exactly what it takes to get the best out of a player at this level.
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