By Jon Colman

Last updated 14:05, Tuesday, 01 July 2008

Nottingham Forest are still hoping to complete their shock swoop for Carlisle United ace Joe Garner – but the Blues insist that a deal has NOT yet been done for the striker.

Joe Garner

Forest are understood to be on the verge of signing the 20-year-old frontman for a deal worth in the region of £500,000 to the Cumbrians.

Sources in Nottingham say Garner is close to agreeing personal terms with the City Ground outfit and will shortly seal his move to the Championship club on a lucrative three-year deal.

But United today denied that a deal to sell Garner had been completed, although they did not dismiss reports that Forest were in for the former Blackburn forward.

“A deal has not been done for Joe Garner and we do not comment on transfer negotiations,” said owner Fred Story.

However, City Ground boss Colin Calderwood has gone public on their attempt to buy Garner, who cost Carlisle a club record £140,000 last summer when they beat off interest from Forest and Dundee United. “He (Garner) is a young player with potential but he also has that experience, having played league football,” said Calderwood.

“He is someone we have known about for a little while and have been looking at. Hopefully we can bring him into the club.”

The former England youth striker is out of action until December after an operation on a cruciate knee ligament injury which he suffered in United’s 1-0 win at Crewe in February.

The Blues rejected offers of £1 million for the injured frontman in January with Bristol City one of the clubs bidding to sign the highly-rated goalscorer. But United, who recently lost goalkeeper Keiren Westwood to Coventry in a £750,000 deal, now look ready to sell.

Manager John Ward is now understood to be planning to splash out on a new striker this summer, although denied last night that he was resigned to losing Garner.

“There are rumours all the time but I won’t comment on stuff on websites, that just fuels it,” said the Blues manager.

“There has been interest, but Joe Garner has been injured since the end of February. There are people asking questions but the answer is he’s not fit until December.

“There have been telephone calls to ask what’s happening, a couple of conversations, but nothing massively final.”

Calderwood, a long-time admirer of the ex-Blackburn and England youth goal ace, has decided to gamble on Garner returning to full fitness and form in the coming months. The aggressive forward quickly became one of League One’s most talked-about strikers when he smashed 14 goals before suffering the injury which ruled him out of the remainder of Carlisle’s promotion campaign.

Forest, who recently landed £2.65m Derby striker Robert Earnshaw, are planning to unveil four new signings this week with veteran hitman Andy Cole among their targets.