Nottingham Forest and Everton have become locked in a battle to sign Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury this summer, according to a report.
The 24-year-old is expected to leave the Foxes during the transfer window after falling down the pecking order at the King Power Stadium.
The likes of Youri Tielemans, Wilfred Ndidi, Nampalys Mendy, Boubakary Soumare and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall were often preferred in central midfield by manager Brendan Rodgers during the 2021-22 campaign, which restricted Choudhury to just 12 appearances across all competitions.
Championship sides West Bromwich Albion and Middlesbrough have been amongst those linked with a move for the former England Under-21s international, but the Mirror are reporting that Premier League sides are set to rival them for Choudhury's signature in the coming weeks.
The report claims that both Forest and Everton are interested in a move for the midfielder, whose contract expires in just 12 months' time.
Leicester's East Midlands rivals Forest are keen to add Premier League experience to their squad following their return to the top flight after a 23-year wait, and are also on the lookout for alternatives to James Garner, who has spent the last 18 months on loan at the City Ground from Manchester United, and whose future remains unclear at this stage.
Meanwhile, Frank Lampard is keen to strengthen in the centre of the pitch for Everton this summer, as the Chelsea legend looks to improve on a disappointing 2021-22 campaign in which the Toffees narrowly avoided relegation to the Championship.
After coming through the academy with Leicester, Choudhury has gone on to make 84 appearances for the first team across all competitions, 12 of which have arrived in the Europa League and Europa Conference League competitions.
Matthew Tranter
