Chelsea have offered Nottingham Forest £1.5M for 18-year-old striker Patrick Bamford.

 

Forest boss Steve Cotterill has admitted that the Championship outfit do not expect Bamford to ink a new contract with the club, leaving the possibility of a departure wide open.

 

Chelsea’s Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are already thought to have had £1M bids rejected for the forward, but the Blues may be successful with their higher offer.

 

Bamford made his senior Forest debut on New Year’s Eve, appearing from the bench against Cardiff City.

 

He has continued to excel at youth level and scored five goals in Forest’s 9-1 Youth Cup drubbing of Wigan Athletic.

 

Whether Chelsea can push through a deal before the transfer window closes remains to be seen, but their bid could yet spark late interest from Arsenal and Spurs.

 

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