Nottingham Forest may have found the perfect Brennan Johnson replacement as the Tricky Trees eye Sydney van Hooijdonk, according to reports from Italy.
What's the latest Nottingham Forest transfer news? – Sydney van Hooijdonk identified
After escaping relegation last season, Forest are keen to strengthen their squad and build on the back of their first season back in the Premier League, with the club linked to a number of different players.
Former Premier League defender Roman Saiss is reportedly on the club's radar, with Steve Cooper determined to strengthen the team's back line.
Forest have also identified a Keylor Navas replacement after the goalkeeper returned to Paris Saint-Germain, with Citta Celeste reporting that the club have made an offer for Lazio's Luis Maximiano.
On the flip side, one man that may be leaving the Forest Ground is talisman Johnson.
According to reports, the 22-year-old has caught the attention of Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton, so the club have begun searching for a possible successor.
Well, it seems they've found the perfect replacement in Bologna's van Hooijdonk, according to Corriere Di Bologna.
How does Sydney van Hooijdonk compare to Brennan Johnson?
While the 23-year-old dynamo was primarily played as a centre-forward last season during his loan spell at Eredivisie side, SC Heerenveen, he is also more than capable of putting a shift in on the left wing and Forest have identified him as a possible successor to Johnson.
On paper, the two men aren't all that similar, but in van Hooijdonk, Forest would replace Johnson with a natural goalscorer.
The Dutch forward scored 19 goals in all competitions last season, double the tally that the Englishman put up himself, whilst in the past, talent scout Jacek Kulig has described the "prolific" frontman as a "target man" who has "athleticism," with the latter attribute comparing well to Cooper's current gem.
With an average WhoScored rating of 6.83, van Hooijdonk out-performed Johnson who averaged a score of 6.49, and the two men put up a similar number of key passes, with van Hooijdonk averaging 0.5 a game, while the Forest man averaged 0.7.
Having controlled the ball with his feet 426 times last season, the Dutchman showed a similar ability to Johnson, who controlled the ball 450 times with his feet last season.
With the Forest man set to fetch the club at least £30m in any potential move away, and van Hooijdonk valued at just £2.5m, the forward would be a bargain for the club and offer a worthy successor to the talented Englishman.
Interestingly, the 6 foot 3 Bologna man's father Pierre played for Forest in the late 1990s, and the deal ended sourly when the former player refused to play for the club towards the end of his time there, drawing criticism from fans and his teammates, so the 23-year-old could potentially offer the chance to rewrite the van Hooijdonk name in the eyes of the club and everyone surrounding it.