Nottingham Forest has had a nightmare of a season. As if fighting to stay out of the relegation zone in the league wasn’t bad enough, now they have also been charged for breaching the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules on Monday, January 15, 2024.
Maybe that is the reason the Tricky Trees were yet to sign anyone in this window. But with just a few hours left before the January window closes, Nottingham Forest has sprung to life.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Nottingham Forest has finally reached an agreement with Borussia Dortmund to sign Giovanni Reyna after having eyed the forward for quite some time now.
The deal is reported to be a simple loan deal until the end of the season, with no buying clause included. It is understood that the Forests will pay his full salary until June.
The pivotal part of this deadline deal was the Portuguese super agent Jorge Mendes, who was signed by the 21-year-old just a month ago in December 2023. Interestingly, Reyna has also signed a new contract renewal with Borussia Dortmund ahead of his deal, binding him until June 2026.
Forest successfully outpaced competition from other clubs such as Sevilla and Atletico Madrid to secure the services of the USMNT star. The is expected to touch down in England on Wednesday, January 31, to undergo the medical procedure and finalize the deal.
Recent updates from Fabrizio Romano indicate that all parties involved have proceeded with the necessary formalities, as he confirmed the deal with a ‘HERE WE GO.’
Reyna has himself been anticipating this move for quite some time now. Having played only 13 games in all competitions for Dortmund this season, he was without a goal or an assist. With the 2024 Copa America and the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, Reyna could benefit from a change in environment and finally be provided with some minutes under his belt, which the USMNT star was so desperate for.
Having said that, Reyna is not the only transfer that the Tricky Trees have secured on deadline day.
Fabrizio Romano’s tweets confirmed that Nottingham Forest has reached an agreement with Sporting CP to sign their forward Rodrigo Ribeiro as well.
The 18-year-old is set to become the next player to follow Gio Reyna to the East Midlands, as Romano has claimed that both parties have agreed upon a loan deal for the forward.
The loan deal will include an option to buy, with the package valued at around £12/13m. If the transfer becomes permanent, Rodrigo will sign a six-year deal with the Premier League club. The entire move was overseen by super-agent Jorge Mendes as well.
Rodrigo’s journey from Alfenense to Sporting Lisbon’s academy in 2017, followed by his professional debut in 2021, has been nothing short of meteoric and full of promise.
This season, he has played 10 games in Liga 3 with Sporting’s B team, scoring two goals.
Despite being in the early stages of his career, Forest sees him as a recruit for the future. He is set to fly to City Ground soon and undergo a medical examination ahead of finalizing the proposed transfer.
If you thought Forest would be done in the market with these 2 signings, you would be wrong. A third name has been added to the list as Nottingham Forest secured a crucial deal for Strasbourg’s talented goalkeeper, Matz Sels.
The deal, valued at around £5 million, signals Forest’s determination to bolster their squad mid-season.
Initially hesitant to add a third goalkeeper, it became evident to the management that it was a necessary move. Manager Nuno, a staunch supporter of Sels, played a pivotal role in pushing for the acquisition.
The surprise deadline day moves will surely bolster Nuno Espirito Santo’s options in the attacking front and in goal. With Forest’s next game against Bournemouth on the horizon, fans and pundits alike are eager to see if the new deadline day signing can be a game-changer for the club’s fortunes.