Released Nottingham Forest defender being monitored by Championship trio

Nottingham Forest defender Baba Fernandes is being monitored by a number of clubs in the Championship ahead of his release from the Nigel Doughty Academy.

Fernandes is set to leave the Forest academy set-up having struggled to break into the first-team set-up. The 22-year-old central defender trained with the senior squad in pre-season before the 2021/22 campaign and featured in the Reds' Carabao Cup fixtures against Bradford City and Wolves, but players such as Jonathan Panzo and Loic Mbe Soh have been ahead of him in the pecking order as well as the emergence of Under-18s defender Pharrell Johnson.

The young defender has been a fairly regular feature in the Reds' Under-23s squad this season, contributing one goal in 15 appearances, as they finished fourth in the Premier League 2 Division 2 standings and were beaten 2-0 by Stoke City in the play-offs.

Fernandes celebrated his 22nd birthday in March and will leave the club this summer, but NottinghamshireLive understands he is not short of options with several clubs monitoring his movements.

Forest's Championship rivals Coventry City and Cardiff City have both been mentioned as potential destinations for the young defender, while it has also been claimed that a move to Pride Park could be on the cards if a takeover of relegated Derby County is completed.

The Sky Blues Under-23s, who are in the Professional Development League play-off final at Bristol City on Tuesday night, have been actively looking for new recruits to strengthen the Championship club's development squad in recent weeks and months, as they historically have done at this time of year.

Under-23s head coach Luke Tisdale has handed several trials to players who have featured in City's 23s matches and might