Federico Gatti was of keen interest to Nottingham Forest, but with the Juventus star staying put, Evangelos Marinakis has spotted a new target.
The deal looked difficult from the start, as Gatti wanted to stay at Juventus, but that didn’t stop those at the City Ground from testing the Italian’s will.
Forest offered Gatti a significant pay rise, much more than the Turin club could, but in the end, Gatti chose to sign a new Juventus deal to leave the Reds back at step one in their search for defensive reinforcements.
With the constant threat of the likes of Chelsea looking at Murillo, it seems that Marinakis is looking to turn the tables on their Premier League rivals by targeting one of their own stars.
Photo by Alessio Morgese/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Alessio Morgese/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Nottingham Forest turn their attention to Chelsea’s Renato Veiga
On the pitch, Forest and Chelsea are also at blows in the race for Champions League football, with the Blues potentially having an advantage as Liverpool will rotate their side for the Chelsea clash.
The rivalry continues in the boardroom, though, as according to GIVEMESPORT, 21-year-old Chelsea gem Renato Veiga has caught Forest’s eye.
The report said: “In defence, recent scouting has focused on Renato Veiga – who is on loan at Juventus from Chelsea – but reinforcements may also depend on possible departures.”
With the likes of Manchester City’s interest in Morgan Gibbs-White, this departure could come from anywhere in the squad, so investing in incomings like the high-potential Veiga could well be a smart move from the Forest owner.
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Chelsea might well be unwilling to let him go so easily, however, given how highly head coach Enzo Maresca has spoken about Veiga in the past.
Enzo Maresca absolutely loves Renato Veiga
Just like Murillo, Veiga is also a left-footed centre back, which is a commodity in itself, but the Portuguese star has a talent that Maresca is even more fond of.
Speaking about Veiga after Chelsea beat Panathinaikos in the Europa Conference League, Maresca said: “I just said to him in the changing room that since I joined, he’s already played as a centre back, fullback, holding midfielder, attacking midfielder, he’s already played four or five positions with us.
“Renato […] is playing in different positions and he is doing well.”
This versatility would be a huge asset to Espirito Santo and the Forest squad, and at just 21, Veiga still has time to naturally grow into one of these roles specifically, making him a perfect defensive addition if Marinakis can push ahead with the deal.