Nottingham Forest are said to have been in discussion with Napoli over a deal for defender Mathias Olivera. The 28-year-old was linked with a move to the City Ground during the winter transfer window as the Reds looked to strengthen their full-back options. He was reported to be “open” to the switch and “in-depth enquiries” were said to have taken place. However, Napoli boss Antonio Conte was apparently not willing to allow the player to leave without a replacement being brought in. It meant the Uruguay international stayed put and Forest signed Luca Netz from Borussia Monchengladbach instead. Since then, there has been talk of the Reds continuing to monitor Olivera ahead of the transfer window reopening. And now there is a suggestion they have taken their interest a step further. WORLD CUP LEGENDS: The stars who lit up football’s greatest tournament – Buy the Special Edition today According to Sport Witness, Forest “continue to hold talks” with Napoli regarding a possible swoop for the left-back. It is said the club are “working on a deal” to secure his signature in the summer. Whether the conversations come to anything may depend on the outcome of the Reds’ relegation battle. It has previously been reported the potential for Olivera to link up with Vitor Pereira’s squad depends on them retaining their Premier League status. Olivera, who is also capable of playing as a centre-back and is under contract until 2030, is unlikely to make any decision regarding his future until after this summer’s World Cup. Forest will hope they are preparing for another campaign in the top flight by then. Pereira’s men claimed a huge 5-0 victory away to Sunderland on Friday night. It moved them eight points clear of 18th-placed Tottenham Hotspur, at least for a few hours before the gap was restored to five points when their rivals beat Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday. JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Get all the Nottingham Forest latest via our Facebook page West Ham United also triumphed at the weekend, meaning it remains incredibly tight in the scrap for survival with four games to go. The Hammers, in 17th, are three points behind the Reds. Full-back is an area where Forest are light on options. Neco Williams and Ola Aina have made the starting positions their own, on the left and right respectively, but Pereira has little by way of cover. Netz has done well when given an opportunity but has struggled for minutes and was left out of the Europa League squad. Nicolo Savona had also shown promise earlier on in the campaign but underwent knee surgery last month and has been ruled out of the remainder of the season.