Nottingham Forest will have money to spend in the summer, but that’s not to say that there won’t be bargains to exploit as Roma look set to give Forest an affordable opportunity.
Despite the discrepancies in UEFA prize money between the competitions, Forest’s European qualification has set them up for a potentially significant summer transfer window.
Forest will spend serious money to ensure that this continental qualification is not just a one-off, but cut-price deals could still provide the desired impact.
Liam Delap is of interest to Forest given his relegation release clause, but the asking price of another potential target could see the Reds spring into action.
Photo by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Roma cannot afford Nottingham Forest target Alexis Saelemaekers
It’s been no secret that Forest have shown interest in Alexis Saelemaekers, with the Belgian consistently touted as one of Nuno Espirito Santo’s preferred targets.
Perhaps this is due to his versatility as he has played in defence and attack for Roma this season, earning praise from teammate Gianluca Mancini, who told DAZN: “He’s so good. He plays in all the roles as if it were nothing.”
However, according to Il Messaggero [via Pagine Romaniste], Mancini won’t be seeing Saelemaekers much longer as Roma cannot afford to turn his loan into a permanent move.
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The report said: “Roma have made it clear that they do not want to invest the $20/25 million requested. There is interest in the winger from the Premier League (Nottingham Forest, West Ham, Newcastle), but all discussions have been postponed.”
At a price of £21m, Saelemaekers could well be a no-brainer for Forest if they can beat the likes of Newcastle to a deal for a player who is on an upward trajectory.
Alexis Saelemaekers’ value is ‘almost double’ what it was pre-Roma
Saelemaekers has scored six goals and provided five assists in his time at Roma this season, propelling his value higher than parent club AC Milan could have predicted.
According to Milan Live: “Last summer, Milan valued Saelemaekers at around 12 million: now, after these twelve months of excellent level at Roma, his cost is almost double.”
Statistic Alexis Saelemakers for Roma
Aerial duels won (%) 72.7%
Long ball accuracy (%) 74.2%
Chances created per 90 1.64
Saelemaekers could offer Forest a unique threat
The Belgian would certainly bring unique attributes to the City Ground, with his aerial ability quite unusual for a wide attacker. His long ball accuracy is also intriguing, given his ability to contribute to counterattacks, or even get on the end of a long pass to show off his chance creation.
Evangelos Marinakis will need to weigh up his options at the end of the season, but £21m for Saelemaekers will definitely be a deal to think about.