Nottingham Forest have moved quickly in the market after the collapse of Inter Milan's deal for Anan Khalaili, with TeamTalk reporting that talks are already under way for the Union Saint-Gilloise wide player.
There is a clear opportunity here for Forest. Inter had appeared to be closing in on the 21-year-old after agreeing a package worth €30 million, £25.7m, made up of an initial €25 million, £21.5m, plus €5 million in add-ons. Khalaili had even completed the club's internal medical process. But the move was stopped at the mandatory cardiac screening stage in Italy, where the required certification was not granted.
That development has changed the landscape and Forest have reacted. TeamTalk state that an opening bid of €20 million, £17m, has already been rejected by Union SG, who remain hopeful of receiving a figure much nearer to the guaranteed sum Inter had lined up. Negotiations, though, are ongoing, and that is the significant point.
Khalaili is understood to appeal strongly because of his flexibility. He is comfortable at left-back, wing-back and in more advanced wide areas, which naturally increases his value to a head coach looking for options across several roles.
Forest are said to view him as someone who can strengthen multiple parts of Oliver Glasner's squad. In a market where adaptability often dictates recruitment decisions, that sort of profile is attractive. It also explains why several Premier League clubs had tracked him previously, including Aston Villa, Brighton, Everton and Leeds United.
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There is a clear opportunity here for Forest. Inter had appeared to be closing in on the 21-year-old after agreeing a package worth €30 million, £25.7m, made up of an initial €25 million, £21.5m, plus €5 million in add-ons. Khalaili had even completed the club's internal medical process. But the move was stopped at the mandatory cardiac screening stage in Italy, where the required certification was not granted.
That development has changed the landscape and Forest have reacted. TeamTalk state that an opening bid of €20 million, £17m, has already been rejected by Union SG, who remain hopeful of receiving a figure much nearer to the guaranteed sum Inter had lined up. Negotiations, though, are ongoing, and that is the significant point.
Khalaili is understood to appeal strongly because of his flexibility. He is comfortable at left-back, wing-back and in more advanced wide areas, which naturally increases his value to a head coach looking for options across several roles.
Forest are said to view him as someone who can strengthen multiple parts of Oliver Glasner's squad. In a market where adaptability often dictates recruitment decisions, that sort of profile is attractive. It also explains why several Premier League clubs had tracked him previously, including Aston Villa, Brighton, Everton and Leeds United.
#union
2 months ago
