Nottingham Forest now plotting statement signing of £30m Barca & Atletico target

da dobrowin： Nottingham Forest are now plotting the statement signing of a £30m forward, who is also being targeted by La Liga giants Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

Forest looking to win race for Barca and Atletico target

da bet sport： It is a clear indication of how far Forest have come that they are now shopping in the same talent pool as the likes of Barcelona and Atletico, but it has been far from an ideal start to the new Premier League campaign.

The Tricky Trees have won just one of their first five league games, and suffered a shock defeat against Swansea City in the third round of the EFL Cup, which was an early setback for new manager Ange Postecoglou.

Under the helm of former manager Nuno, the Europa League side strengthened considerably in the summer transfer window, particularly in attacking areas, and Dan Ndoye has made a promising start, with two goal contributions to his name in the Premier League.

However, Evangelos Marinakis was unable to secure deals for all of his major targets, missing out on former SC Braga winger Roger Fernandes on deadline day, despite entering advanced talks.

There has since been an encouraging new update on Nottingham Forest’s interest in Fernandes, however, with a report from TEAMtalk reporting they are still plotting a statement signing of the winger, despite his £30m move to Al-Ittihad.

The 19-year-old is attracting serious interest, even though he only recently moved to Saudi Arabia, with the likes of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid also thought to be keen, although neither of the La Liga giants have made an approach thus far.

Interest from the Premier League is particularly strong, with the Tricky Trees constantly observing the youngster, even since Ange’s appointment, as there is a belief he could boost their chances of qualifying for Europe once again.

"1v1 specialist" Fernandes could be difference-maker for Forest

It has to be said, it would be very strange if the Portuguese winger were to leave Al-Ittihad so soon after joining, having not even made his debut, but the starlet clearly has the ability to succeed at Forest, given his exploits in a Braga shirt.

Speaking just under two years ago, scout Ben Mattinson said: “Roger Fernandes is another player I love at Braga. 1v1 specialist with great whipped cross on him. A creative, unselfish winger. Also his maturity for only 17 is crazy, you can tell why he’s played so much already.”

The ex-Braga star amassed 12 goals and 16 assists in 91 appearances for the Portuguese club, which is an impressive return for a teenager, and indicates he could be capable of making the step-up to the Premier League.

Forest appear to be well-stocked in attacking areas, having signed Omari Hutchinson, Dilane Bakwa and Ndoye in the summer, but Fernandes is an exciting young player, and the rival interest from Barcelona and Atletico speaks volumes.