Nottingham Forest are one of a number of Premier League clubs who sent scouts to Scotland over the weekend in the hope of getting a better look at Ayr United defender Dylan Watret.
Club play has been sparse in the UK over the past week due to the international break. Forest are ready to bounce back against Liverpool this weekend but say they have not wasted the time they had.
Via sister site Footballscotland, they sent scouts to witness SPFL Trust Trophy action north of the border this weekend, leading a cohort that even included Arsenal. This could lead to a race to sign 17-year-old Watret in the future.
As the Premier League club’s presumptive center of attention, he finished 90 minutes in front of the home support at Somerset Park as Ayr came from two goals down to knock Raith Rovers out of the competition. According to the report, Forest and others who have sent scouts share the same sentiments as his boyhood club about his “significant potential”.
Watret already turned professional in December 2022 at the age of 16 and was soon rewarded with a contract. His first goal came earlier this season in a 1-1 draw with Dunfermline Athletic, and he has gone on to make three of his five Scottish Championship games unbeaten – much to the respect of manager Scott Brown.
In addition to Premier League opponents, the young defender is said to have fans in the Scottish Premier League as well. Brown’s ex-Celtic player got a good look at him in a pre-season friendly, although they too would likely be outbid by English teams.