Nottingham Forest and Fortuna Sittard are said to be “a long way off” agreeing a deal for attacking midfielder Zian Flemming.
The Reds have targeted the 22-year-old Dutchman for a summer move as boss Chris Hughton looks to strengthen his squad before the transfer window closes.
There is a particular focus on the top end of the pitch for Forest’s recruitment, with a need to add more goals and creativity to aid a promotion push for the upcoming campaign.
Fleming stood out in the Eredivisie last season, bagging 12 goals in 33 league games and weighing in with seven assists.
He is said to have a £1.5m price tag on his head, but Dutch football magazine Voetbal International suggest the two clubs are far apart in their assessment of the player - and that could lead to the Reds considering alternative options.
They claim a move to the City Ground “is currently a long way off” for Flemming, with an agreement between the parties “far away”.
The report adds Forest “have already made several bids, but the gap between supply and demand is still large”, and the club are “now considering switching to alternatives”.
In a recent interview, Flemming said he felt Fortuna were asking for too much to secure his services.
Asked if he could be set to leave the club, he said: “Not necessarily. They ask for a very high transfer fee – too high.”
Flemming only joined Fortuna from PEC Zwolle last summer for a relatively low fee and is contracted until the summer of 2024.
So far, goalkeeper Ethan Horvath is the only new addition to Hughton’s squad after he arrived on Trentside last week.
