Shrewsbury Town were today on the brink of landing Grant Holt as the first in a fresh wave of major summer signings.Town were hoping to tie up the formalities on what would be a major coup after agreeing a deal with Nottingham Forest for the 27-year-old forward.

There was no confirmation of the fee involved, but it is sure to have required a very significant outlay for a player who cost Forest £300,000 in January 2006.

Carlisle and Hartlepool are understood to have been tracking Holt in recent months, while sources in Nottingham claim Rochdale, who are also understood to have agreed a fee with Forest, were desperate to re-sign their former frontman.

But all the signs this morning were that Town have won the race to lure Holt – a player with a proven goalscoring track record in League Two – to Oteley Road.

Holt began his career in non-League with Workington, Halifax and Barrow, before earning his break in the Football League with Sheffield Wednesday.

The striker spent a little under a year at Hillsborough before heading to Rochdale in 2004.

A record of a goal every two games – 42 in 85 – earned Holt hero status at Spotland and attracted the attention of Forest who took him to the City Ground.

Despite limited appearances in 2006-7, the Carlisle-born striker was the top scorer after finding the net 18 times, a return which earned him the club’s Player of the Season award.

But Holt fell down the pecking order under Forest boss Colin Calderwood last season and managed just three goals before heading to the Championship for a loan spell with Blackpool.

Should the deal be completed, Holt would join midfielder Paul Murray and young ex-Carlisle winger Stephen Hindmarch as Town’s summer signings to date.

Manager Paul Simpson will be hopeful of adding to his recruits over the coming days, with Bristol Rovers striker Richard Walker also amongst his targets.

By James Garrison