Nottingham Forest: Reds pushing to sign Youssouf Fofana

Nottingham Forest are pushing to sign Monaco and France midfielder Youssouf Fofana this summer, but there could yet be a twist in the saga, according to reliable journalist David Ornstein.

The 24-year-old has risen to become a highly-rated footballer who is a key man for Monaco, making a total of 141 appearances for them to date.

In that time, Fofana has scored three goals and registered 11 assists, and he also featured six times for France at the 2022 World Cup, helping them reach the final that they eventually lost to Argentina.

The Frenchman’s current Monaco deal expires at the end of next season, however, leaving them in something of a tricky situation when it comes to his future. Assuming he doesn’t sign an extension, the Ligue 1 team will either have to sell him this summer in order to receive good money for his services or accept that he will be able to leave on a free transfer next June.

There is certainly interest in Fofana currently, which is no great surprise considering his ability, and with Forest looking to make some significant moves in the transfer market in the next couple of weeks, it appears as though the Reds are in the mix to sign him.

Taking to Twitter X, The Athletic‘s Ornstein dropped a key update regarding Fofana’s future, claiming that Forest have made a big verbal offer, but there is a twist with other clubs still looking to hijack the deal:

“Nottingham Forest have made verbal proposal to sign Youssouf Fofana from Monaco. €35m + add-ons offer meets #ASMonaco expectation. #NFFC also speaking with 24yo France int’l to try to agree terms. Other clubs closely monitoring situation.”

Forest signing Fofana would feel like a huge statement of intent by the club, considering his pedigree as a footballer and some of the clubs who have been linked with him recently, including Liverpool and Chelsea.

His performances in the heart of Monaco’s midfield sum up what a great addition he would be at the City Ground this summer, having averaged 2.3 tackles per game across 36 league appearances last season, of which 35 were starts.

To have won 10 caps for a star-studded France side further outlines the quality at Fofana’s disposal, and at 24 years of age, it would be a surprise if that tally didn’t rise significantly as the years pass, especially as the likes of N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba gradually move on from the international scene.

The midfielder has been described as a “wonderful” player by football talent scout Jacek Kulig and Forest snapping him up could add so much quality and character to their midfield, as they look to kick on from last season and ensure they don’t get sucked into a relegation battle.

The Monaco man is now a proven player at the very top level – he came on during extra-time in the World Cup final against Argentine – so the Reds must do all they can to reach an agreement, in what could be a significant piece of business.