Nottingham Forest ‘exploring move’ for Ajax striker after agreeing £5m deal for ex-Newcastle ‘keeper
Nottingham Forest are ‘exploring a move’ to sign Chuba Akpom from Dutch giants Ajax, according to Fabrizio Romano.
It has been a busy week at the City Ground with Giovanni Reyna and Rodrigo Ribeiro joining on loan from Borussia Dortmund and Sporting, respectively.
Forest are close to selling Belgian midfielder Orel Mangala to Lyon for a fee in the region of £26million and Nuno Espirito Santo is evidently willing to reinvest that money.
One attacking player Nuno is reportedly trying to sign before Thursday’s transfer deadline is ex-Middlesbrough striker Akpom.
The 28-year-old has five goals in the Eredivisie this season after joining Ajax from Boro last summer.
He scored an impressive 28 goals in the Championship last term and could return to England months after leaving.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Forest are currently ‘trying to explore’ a move for Akpom.
There is no mention of a potential fee for the English striker, and Romano says agreeing a deal with Ajax will ‘not be easy’.
‘Nottingham Forest trying to explore move for Chuba Akpom in the final hours of the transfer window,’ Romano wrote on X. ‘Not easy to agree terms with Ajax but NFFC trying to bring one more player in.’
Forest head coach Nuno is also in the market for a new goalkeeper despite signing Matt Turner and Odysseas Vlachodimos last summer.
It looks like the Premier League club will land former Newcastle United shot-stopper Matz Sels from Strasbourg after failing to land Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher.
According to The Athletic, Nuno’s side tried to sign Koen Casteels from German side Wolfsburg but have reached an agreement with Strasbourg over the signing of Sels.
Sels will reportedly cost around £5m and will sign a three-and-a-half-year contract at the City Ground.
It is unclear whether or not the ex-Newcastle man will instantly become Nuno’s first-choice goalkeeper.
Turner has failed to impress since joining Arsenal last summer, while Greek international Vlachodimos has struggled to live up to expectations after leaving Benfica.
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