Gardner Linked With Forest Return

It was being reported yesterday that midfielder Gary Gardner was a fresh target for Nottingham Forest.

Like the reported interest from Sunderland in Ross McCormack and Tommy Elphick with the expectation that having been left out of the Germany tour squad Sunderland would now firm up their interest having made enquiries, the thrust of the Gardner speculation follows the same lines.

Gardner has of course been omitted from the travelling party to Germany along with Aaron Tshibola and with a packed midfield following the signing of Glenn Whelan, speculation about his future was already a topic of interest.

The Daily Mail built on that and leaned on his successful loan spells out at the City Ground in recent seasons where he impressed playing the defensive midfield role whilst Henri Lansbury took on the attacking role.

Sadly that’s something we haven’t seen replicated at Villa following Lansbury’s arrival but with Forest wanting him permanently last January, the Mail seem to believe that new manager Mark Warburton could be interested in revisiting the deal for our former Academy graduate.

With him being left out of the Germany squad the expectation is Villa would be more willing to deal this time round and it’s said a number of Championship clubs are interested in him, but Forest are the only side named at the moment.