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Nottingham Forest are interested in signing Tom Lockyer.

Bristol Live understands that the Championship club are eyeing up a move for the defender, who departed boyhood club Bristol Rovers this summer.

Lockyer was club captain at the Gas but turned down a contract in search of higher league football as he looks to build on his fledgling Wales career.

Forest still have a lot of players under contract for next season, releasing just two senior players, and their wage bill remains one of the larger in the Championship and they are looking to cut that down.

(Image: Getty)

That means Lockyer would fit the bill for Martin O'Neill's side - at 24, the Gas are no longer entitled to compensation for the centre-back, meaning Forest can sign him on a free transfer.

Forest were also said to be keeping tabs on Lockyer last summer but instead opted to sign right-back Sam Byram on loan from West Ham.

They had been some people's tip to make the play-offs this season but finished eight points off sixth place in 10th, with O'Neill unable to revitalise their form after the departure of Aitor Karanka.

Earlier this week, Lockyer, who made 238 appearances for Rovers, confirmed that he was in talks with four Championship clubs.

He said to BBC Radio Bristol: "Everyone keeps asking me, 'where are you signing then?' and I honestly don't know and they keep saying, 'why are you lying' and it's doing my head in because I wish I knew and I wish could tell you.

"But it's about weighing things up at the minute, it's too easy to rush into things and get sucked in by certain aspects of different clubs.

"Realistically there are four Championship teams who are willing to put something on the table and there's a few other League One teams.

"I've got to go away with Wales this summer so it will be nice to have something done before that, whether we'll able to or not will be a different story.

"I've had a few conversations with Marcus Stewart and old managers and players, and kind of said, 'what would you do in my situation?' because I've never been here before, it's always just been I'm coming back to Cribbs in the summer and cracking on with pre-season with everyone I know.

"Just out there trying to look for a bit of advice at the minute because people in the game, they all talk, and they all have different experiences to share with you.

"The conversation I had with Marcus, I said to him, 'if you were in my position and you had some lower-half Championship teams coming in for you and it could be a struggle of a season and they're not guaranteed to be up there or you've got the top half of League One teams who are saying, look we're going to get promoted, what would you do?'

"He said to me, personally, looking back on my career I always remember the promotions I've had, they are what stick out for me so if I was you I'd be doing that. That did hit hard.

"But then I've had other people said get yourself in the Champ and go and get 40 Championship games under your belt and see where that takes you.

"I really don't know. I'm going to sit down with my agent at the end of this month and we'll go from there."