Following an incredibly underwhelming 2020/21 campaign which culminated in a 17th place finish in the Championship, Nottingham Forest would have been hoping to make a positive start to the new term.
However, the Reds faltered in their opening fixture of the season as they suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Coventry City.
Set to face an AFC Bournemouth side this weekend who reached the play-offs earlier this year, Forest know that they will need to be at their very best if they are to seal all three points at the City Ground.
Having already bolstered his squad during the current transfer window by signing Ethan Horvath, Philip Zinckernagel and Jordi Osei-Tutu, it will be intriguing to see whether Forest manager Chris Hughton decides to draft in some more fresh faces in the coming weeks.
One of the players who has been linked with a potential move back to the Reds is James Garner.
The Manchester United midfielder enjoyed a fruitful loan spell with the Championship side before returning to Old Trafford.
A report from Football Insider on Wednesday revealed that Forest were interested in re-signing Garner on a temporary basis.
During his stint in the second-tier with the Reds, the midfielder managed to average a WhoScored match rating of 6.98 as he scored four goals in 20 appearances for the club.
Ahead of Forest's meeting with Bournemouth, an update has emerged concerning Garner's future at United.
According to Football Insider, the 20-year-old has reportedly rejected a new contract that was offered to him by the Red Devils amid interest from the likes of Forest, Stoke City and Sheffield United.
It is understood that United are only willing to sanction a loan move in the coming weeks if Garner decides to commit his long-term future to the club.
Although Garner's current deal is set to expire in 2022, the Red Devils do have the option to extend his stay by a further 12 months.
GIVEMESPORT's Joshua Cole says...
When you consider that Garner possesses an abundance of talent, it could take a sizeable bid to lure him away from United this summer.
Unless United alter their stance in regards to a temporary switch, the Reds will almost certainly be out of the running for the midfielder's signature as they are currently unable to spend big sums of money in the current financial climate.
If Hughton is still aiming to improve his options in the heart of midfield, he may now need to look at alternative options to Garner if this latest report turns out to be true.
Providing that the 62-year-old is able to nail his recruitment between now and the end of the window, Forest may be able to achieve a relative amount of success in the second-tier.
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