Nottingham Forest manager Aitor Karanka is interested in signing Sam Byram from West Ham United. The same report also claims that the Championship outfit are eyeing a move for Bristol Rovers’ Tom Lockyer if they fail in their pursuit of Byram.
According to The Nottingham Post, the City Ground side is hopeful of landing the Hammers’ forgotten man. However, should the Reds fail to complete a deal for the former Leeds United player, Wales’ International Tom Lockyer could be the right alternative.
Byram, who came through Leeds’ ranks before his move to West Ham in January 2016, has been deemed surplus to requirements at London Stadium. The 24-year-old plays as a right-back but if needed, Byram can also feature on the right side of the midfield. He has loads of Championship experience, having made 130 appearances for Leeds across four seasons.
Meanwhile, the 23-year-old Lockyer has spent his entire career at Rovers. He has no Championship experience since he has only played in the League One, League Two and the National League so far. Interestingly, Lockyer plays mainly as a centre-back but can also play as a right-back or a defensive midfielder. Thus, the two are not like-for-like players and Forest could still go in for both of them.
Karanka has identified the right-back position as being the final piece of the jigsaw that needs an upgrade. Byram has struggled for game time since joining West Ham, making only five Premier League appearances last season. The 2016/17 campaign was Byram’s best season in a Hammers shirt as he made 18 appearances in the English top-flight.
In contrast, Lockyer has been a mainstay in Rovers’ line-up. Capped four times, he has made over 40 appearances for Bristol Rovers across all competitions for the past five seasons.
It only makes sense for Forest to strengthen their team defensively. After all, they conceded a whopping 65 goals last season, which is 14 more than the 51 goals the Reds netted. And Karanka must be smart and keep his options open.
With that in mind, can Forest use regular first-team action as bait to lure Byram, a player whose career is stalling, to revive his career at City Ground? Regardless of how this turns out, Forest could benefit by signing both Byram and Lockyer this summer.
