Derby County have bids rejected for Nottingham Forest and Huddersfield Town stars

Nottingham Forest manager Dougie Freedman has revealed he left Michail Antonio out of his side for Tuesday’s 0-0 draw with Charlton Athletic due uncertainty over the midfielder’s future.

He’s an extremely talented and valuable young player and Freedman would do well to wrap him up in cotton wool as often as he can to protect him.

Dougie Freedman has reiterated Nottingham Forest’s determination to keep Michail Antonio after the club rejected a £4million offer from Derby.

Freedman said that given the nature of Forest’s position in the Championship, he needed to bring in players who can “get up and running straight away”, with Frey needing time to recover his fitness and match sharpness after seven months out of action.

Barton, 32, is without a club following his release from relegated QPR and saw a switch to West Ham collapse amid fan fury. Freedman will undoubtedly be working day and night until the September 1st transfer deadline in a bid to strengthen his squad.

Antonio has started the season brightly for Forest with three goals in three appearances and still has two years left on his contract with the club.

Antonio began his career as a Reading trainee and had spells on loan at Cheltenham, Southampton and Colchester, before his most successful loan period at Wednesday was made permanent in 2012.