Nottingham Forest target Neal Maupay is ‘not rushing’ to complete his move to the City Ground this summer and is waiting to see if other interest crops up, according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook.

Steve Cooper has overseen a hectic few months of business at Forest but is still seemingly looking to strengthen further ahead of the September 1 deadline.

What is the latest Maupay news?

The French striker was left out of Brighton’s squad that faced Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon, with a report from The Telegraph revealing that he was set for talks with Forest.

It claims a £15 million fee has been agreed between the two sides as Cooper looks to add to his squad. Fabrizio Romano reported that final details over a contract until 2026 were also being discussed.

The Athletic later added that Fulham and Everton had also joined the battle to sign the 25-year-old, with Lampard holding talks with Maupay, while Italian side Salernitana have also matched Forest’s offer for the player.

What has Crook said on the chase for Maupay?

Crook understands that Maupay and his representatives are not rushing to accept Forest’s offer, instead, allowing other interested parties to come forward first.

The talkSPORT reporter told GIVEMESPORT: “What I do know is that Maupay’s camp are not rushing to get him signed on at Forest. I think they are waiting to see what other interest there is.”

Why are Forest targeting Maupay?

The East Midlands side won promotion from the Championship last season and have already splashed over £100 million on new recruits, including strikers Taiwo Awoniyi and Emmanuel Dennis.

The former opened his account for his new club on Saturday, scoring the winner as Forest beat West Ham 1-0 at the City Ground.

But the summer also saw Lewis Grabban and Nuno Da Costa depart as free agents while Keinan Davis returned to parent club Aston Villa following a loan spell.

So despite the arrival of Awoniyi, Forest remain short of the assets they boasted in the second tier last term. Pursuing another new forward therefore makes sense.

Saturday saw Cooper deploy a 3-4-1-2 formation, with Brennan Johnson joining Awoniyi in attack. Playing with a front two means the former Swansea manager will need multiple options at his disposal.

Sam Surridge and Lyle Taylor were both on the bench but ultimately lack experience in the Premier League. Targeting the likes of Dennis and Maupay is the sensible thing to do.