Nottingham Forest eye Brazilian teenager Isaque from Shakhtar Donetsk ahead of potential star exits

The youngster has impressed in his first season with Shakhtar Donetsk and is now being monitored by a number of European clubs

With Premier League survival confirmed, Nottingham Forest are already planning their summer recruitment for next season.

Forest may have to deal with a number of key departures in the coming months, particularly in midfield, with Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson strongly linked with high-profile moves elsewhere.

With this in mind, one of the names that has emerged as a target is that of Isaque, a 19-year-old Brazilian attacking midfielder currently plying his trade with Shakhtar Donetsk.

Isaque moved to the Ukrainian giants in a €10 million move last summer from Fluminense, and has impressed in his debut season outside of his home country.

The youngster has managed six assists and five goals in 23 Ukrainian Premier League appearances, and played a key part in Shakhtar reaching the semi-finals of the Conference League with two goals in 12 matches.

According to Calciomercato, Forest are one of the top candidates to land the teenager, but face competition from both Serie A and Premier League clubs.

Giants like Inter and AC Milan are keeping a watchful eye over the Brazilian, while Tottenham and Chelsea are among the English sides monitoring the situation.

Forest’s Brazilian contingent

Nottingham Forest have been delving into the Brazilian market significantly in recent seasons. Murillo has become a key player for the club, and was joined last year by Morato, Jair Cunha, John Victor and Igor Jesus.

Edu Gaspar, Nottingham Forest’s Global Head of Football, has close contacts with Brazilian clubs and agents, giving his side an advantage when it comes to competing for talents from his homeland.

While the step between the Ukrainian top division and the Premier League would prove a challenging one, Isaque would be surrounded by players who have lived a similar situation, and would also be under the orders of a fellow Portuguese-speaker in the form of head coach Vitor Pereira.