Nigel Pearson has dismissed reports linking Bristol City to Nottingham Forest's attacking midfielder Ateef Konate.
A report in the Athletic on Saturday suggested the Robins were interested in bringing the 21-year-old on loan with the Premier League side keen for their talent to earn regular minutes. Stoke City, clubs in League One and Danish side Odense have also expressed an interest.
The City manager wants to sign an attacking midfielder this month if business allows, preferably on a permanent, although the club are exploring the loan market. Konate hasn't featured under Steve Cooper this season and made one Championship appearance 12 months ago following his move from Le Havre in 2020.
However, Pearson suggests he's not a target for the club this month. When asked whether reports were accurate following the draw with Swansea, he responded: "Not as far as I know. He’s not somebody that I’m aware we’ve got any interest over.”
Pearson's search for a 'maverick' in an attacking position may be more immediate following the injuries to Tommy Conway and Andi Weimann on Sunday. Both players limped off with hamstring issues although the manager couldn't determine the severity of the problems without further assessment.
With Chris Martin out of favour and out of the squad, he named just one forward on the bench against Swansea in youngster Sam Bell. Mark Sykes can also play in a wide forward role but has been utilised as a wing-back this season.
On Friday, Pearson revealed that he is looking into the possibility of signing Reda Khadra after missing out on him over the summer. The playmaker looks set to have his loan spell with Sheffield United cut short and return to Brighton and Hove Albion this month.
Birmingham City are believed to hold a strong interest with reports suggesting he has even undergone a medical while Alan Nixon suggests Schalke are keen with Khadra favouring a return back to his native Germany.
Speaking of his transfer interest, Pearson said: "His loan deal hasn’t really worked out for him. He would be a player that I think would be good for us and we as a club would be good for him. It’s something we are exploring again but as it stands at the minute, we can’t do any business until people leave.
"Whether it’s a sale or players leaving to free up potential wages. These are the nuances of getting the balance right, it’s not as straightforward as going out and adding to the squad or selling players.
"We don’t buy or sell any players without giving it considerable thought and doing what we believe to be the right reasons. This is a window where if you’re not careful you can be pushed into a corner, it’s important we make good decisions."
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