According to NottinghamMail, Nottingham Forest are still interested in Cardiff City’s Lee Tomlin. The forward spent the last half of last season at Nottingham Forest contributing 4 goals and 3 assists in 15 appearances.

Tomlin could feature for the City Ground outfit next season but with Forest likely to be priced out of a permanent deal, the most plausible change might be another loan deal. It was Aitor Karanka that got the best out of Tomlin during their time together at Middlesbrough in 2014/15 which saw Tomlin score 7 goals and provide 10 assists in 42 games.

Tomlin has previously stated his wish to prove himself in the Premier League, with Cardiff now in the Premier League after finishing 2nd this past season. However, it is likely that he does not feature heavily in Neil Warnock’s plans for next season in the Premier League.

Karanka has already hinted his wish to work with Tomlin again and the player might be open to a return to City Ground to work with a manager who understands him, although wages would be an issue.

Tomlin has two years left in his contract at the Cardiff City Stadium. A loan deal would see Cardiff contribute a part of his wages, which could sweeten things up for Nottingham Forest.

January window deadline day saw Tomlin swap Cardiff for Forest and Jamie Ward move in the opposite direction. The versatile forward went on to shine under Karanka, earning the Man of the Match award in the 3-0 home win over Barnsley. This saw his future in Cardiff questioned after his frustrating half season at Cardiff City Stadium that saw him score a single goal for the Bluebirds.

It is clear to many that the former Middlesbrough and Bristol City forward is unsuited to Cardiff’s style and a move to Forest would benefit everyone.

The versatile 29-year-old can play in a number of positions, featuring mainly as a secondary striker, centre-forward and on the right-wing.  He is a good dribbler, completes key passes and layoffs too. Tomlin would be a valuable addition at City Ground as his unpredictable and exciting displays would make him a fan-favourite.

A move to Forest will see Karanka get an experienced player who he understands well and whose playing style augurs well the manager’s tactics. With Cardiff linked with several players including Liverpool’s Marko Grujic, it could see the Welsh side offload a player who has struggled to adapt to the club’s playing style, even if it is on a temporary basis.

Tomlin has the chance to shine again if deployed in a system that he seamlessly fits into. Nottingham Forest should, therefore, do whatever they can to get Tomlin back to their side, but can Karanka pull this off? It remains to be seen.