Details of how the summer transfer window will unfold remain unclear, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
But Bruno Paz could be one name which keeps cropping up for Nottingham Forest.
The Reds are said to have had a 1.5m euros bid rejected for the young defensive midfielder, with Sporting Lisbon wanting twice that sum to secure his services.
Championship rivals Reading and Brentford have also been linked, along with Brazilian outfit Fortzlesza.
So who is the youngster seemingly the subject of much interest? We’ve taken a look.
What’s his background?
At the age of just 22, Paz is still very much in the early stages of his career.
He joined Sporting in 2011, having previously been at fellow Portuguese clubs Vinhense, Barreirense and Belenenses.
He is highly regarded around the club but has made just one senior appearance so far.
He’s not a first-team regular then?
Not quite, but he has spent much of this season sidelined with injury.
His sole run-out for the first-team came in December 2018, when he was a substitute in a 3-0 Europa League victory over Vorskla Poltava.
Any hopes he might have had about using that as a platform to earn more of a chance with the senior side, however, were cruelly thwarted.
Less than six months later, Paz suffered a serious knee injury which kept him out of action until midway through this term.
Since recovering, he has been involved with the club’s Under-23s, and some supporters are said to have been keen for him to make the step up.
What are the chances of him moving on?
It seems like there is a fair bit of interest.
Portuguese newspaper A BOLA say Forest have “already moved from words to actions”, but that “the values placed on the table by the English (club) did not satisfy the Leo leaders, who did not take long to refuse the offer”.
They suggest the Reds are considering making a second bid.
However, Esporte ao Minuto report Sporting would only allow Paz to leave if a buyback clause was inserted in any deal.
The Portuguese is under contract until June 2023, having penned a new deal last year, so it is his club who hold the cards.
If he does end up making the move to the City Ground, he would be part of a strong Portuguese contingent, with compatriots Joao Carvalho, Yuri Ribeiro, Tiago Silva and Tobias Figueiredo already on the books.
