Exclusive: Nottingham Forest win race to sign £26m rated midfielder

Regardless of another likely PSR breach, the Reds are looking for reinforcements.

Despite badly needing to generate funds before the 30th of June PSR deadline, Nottingham Forest are trying to expand their ranks, hoping to improve on their 17th-place Premier League result in 2023/24.

Nuno Espírito Santo took over the Reds’ roster from former manager Steve Cooper in December, with only one month to bring in players who could overhaul the team.

He signed Matz Sels, Rodrigo Ribiero, and Gio Reyna, with the latter two on loan at the City Ground and set to leave the club at the end of the month.

However, the summer brings a new opportunity for the Forest manager to put his stamp on the team, potentially recruiting players who he believes can propel his side into mid-table and ultimately get out of the relegation zone after two seasons of peril.

Any business must be savvy and value for money, with the club spending a lot of money over the last few seasons on numerous players who have failed to give value for money since their arrival on Trentside.

It appears that the Forest manager has identified one player who he believes has the potential to improve the club’s midfield, but this is not the first time the Reds have pursued this player, with the club already linked with the talent last season.

Nottingham Forest interested in signing talented £26m midfielder

According to Portuguese daily Record (via Sport Witness), Forest are interested in signing Benfica midfielder Florentino Luis this summer.

According to the source, Everton, despite their own financial difficulties, is still interested in the 24-year-old, with the Reds joining the fight for his signature.

The Benfica academy graduate, who has a €120 million (£102 million) release clause in his present contract, would not need to pay anything near that amount for the Portuguese club to part ways with their star, with a bid of €30 million (£26 million) believed to enough to obtain his services.

🇵🇹⚔️ Florentino Luís (Benfica, 24) has more tackles per 90 and more defensive actions per 90 than any midfielder in the top 7 leagues

👉 https://t.co/dgzmGSU18u https://t.co/9HgzVUJ7ka pic.twitter.com/KVdfIsuH8G

— DataMB (@DataMB_) April 27, 2024

He appeared 30 times in Liga Portugal in 2022/23, with only 17 of those appearances coming from the starting lineup, and played a total of 1,683 minutes under manager Roger Schmidt.

While it may appear odd that the club is willing to spend heavily considering their recent point deduction, it would be a worthwhile investment, with Luis likely being a significant upgrade on one present Forest player.

Why Florentino Luis would be an upgrade on Ibrahim Sangare

Ivorian ballwinner Ibrahim Sangare arrived at the City Ground for around £30 million after generating a lot of interest across many transfer windows, but the deal hasn’t worked out for either side as of yet.

The former PSV Eindhoven player has made only 17 appearances for the Reds, including three starts, since Nuno’s hiring in December.

When comparing the Portuguese potential to Sangare, it is clear that the Benfica talent is a more versatile player who would have a greater impact on the present Trentside group.

He averages 74 passes per 90 minutes, with 89% of his attempts this season finding a teammate, 7.6 of which are progressive, indicating Luis’ eagerness to push the ball forward at all times.

Unfortunately, Sangare cannot match such stats this season, with 37 passes and 3.8 progressive passes, falling far short of the 24-year-old Benfica wonder.

Florentino has produced some incredible figures this season, having been lauded as “the kind of player every coach would like to have in their squad” by former Benfica coach Joao Tralhao, with Nuno clearly feeling the same way, given recent whispers of a potential transfer for the ace.

While Sangare has been used as a player who seeks to return possession as much as possible, Luis has overpowered the Ivorian, winning more tackles, aerial duels, and interceptions at nearly twice the rate.

Luis’ brilliance with and without the ball would overhaul Forest’s midfield, with the club working feverishly to complete a deal for the £26 million star – which might be a bargain if Sangare is sold this season.