Nottingham Forest forward Chris Wood has allegedly emerged as a potential transfer target for two Italian clubs.
When departing Newcastle United in January 2023, Wood was fighting for his career in the Premier League having failed to impress at St James' Park.
However, the 33-year-old is now viewed as one of the best frontmen in the division, scoring 25 times in 50 top-flight appearances since the start of 2023-24.
The form of the New Zealand international has contributed to Nuno Espirito Santo's side sitting in second position in the Premier League table.
Nevertheless, with Wood now entering the final six months of his contract, offers from bigger clubs now seem an inevitability.
Which Serie A clubs want Wood?
According to Football Insider, Napoli and AC Milan are both contemplating whether to try to secure a deal for Wood over the coming weeks.
As of New Year's Day, Wood will be in a position where he can hold discussions over a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs.
The report suggests that each of the Serie A giants are monitoring the situation ahead of potentially holding discussions with his representatives.
Napoli are seemingly in the market for a backup option for Romelu Lukaku ahead of their likely return to European competition in 2025-26.
Meanwhile, with AC Milan having just changed head coaches and potentially missing out on Champions League football next season, the club's hierarchy may have to take a sustained look at the free-agent market.
How will Forest react?
There is likely to be no change in the Forest boardroom. They already recognise Wood's value and have been attempting to successfully negotiate fresh terms.
Forest would not contemplate a sale for a cut-price fee during January as they bid for a return to European competition for the first time since the 1995-96 UEFA Cup.
From Wood's perspective, he will need to decide whether he wishes to experience a different league and country at the back end of his career.
That said, while there is the obvious lure of representing a high-profile Italian club, regular starts would be far harder to come by. body check tags ::
