Nottingham Forest are preparing to offer Fulham’s Kevin McDonald first-team football after Dan Gosling turned down the chance to move to the City Ground, according to reports this morning.

Football Insider claims that Chris Hughton has made the Scottish international his next target as he seeks to find a replacement for former Fulham midfielder Harry Arter before the end of the January transfer window. Reports on Friday suggested that McDonald, now 32, was considering calling time on his playing career and moving into coaching at Fulham having not received a concrete offer despite a number of Championship clubs having expressed interest in taking him on loan.

The popular defensive midfielder has not made a first-team appearance for the Whites since coming on as a late substitute in Fulham’s 2-0 win over Cardiff last July and has spent time working with the club’s under 18 and under 23s after being left out of Scott Parker’s 25-man Premier League squad. A key part of two Fulham sides that won promotion from the Championship in the space of three seasons, McDonald has made 127 appearances and scored since goals in four and a half years at Craven Cottage.

McDonald, who has made more than 500 senior league appearances, would bring experience and quality to the Forest midfield with Hughton’s side currently in twentieth place, just two points above the relegation zone. The former Sheffield United and Wolves midfielder would join Fulham loanees Anthony Knockaert and Cyrus Christie at the City Ground should he agree to make the move.