Nottingham Forest and Evangelos Marinakis could now imminently swoop to hijack Inter Milan's deal for an in-form forward, according to reports in the last 48 hours.
Nottingham Forest in Champions League race as crucial summer looms
Despite wins for both Chelsea and Aston Villa on Friday night, which dealt a blow to Nuno Espirito Santo and their chances of a top-five finish, Forest remain outside contenders to qualify for next season's Champions League draw.
morgan-gibbs-white Related
Nottingham Forest want to sign 23 y/o captain with same agent as Gibbs-White
He could be their first signing of the summer.
A win against West Ham on Sunday is absolutely non-negotiable, but three points from their clash with the Hammers will set up a mouth-watering final day tie at home to Chelsea, where victory over Enzo Maresca's side could pay dividends if results elsewhere go Nuno's way.
Race for Champions League qualification with 2 games remaining Points
2. Arsenal 68
3. Newcastle United 66
4. Chelsea 66
5. Aston Villa 66
6. Man City 65
7. Nottingham Forest 62
Their race for Europe will have a pivotal knock-on effect when it comes to their summer recruitment plans, as the financial windfalls received from Champions League qualification could help Forest splash the cash without having to worry so much about FFP and PSR.
“FFP and PSR plays a big part in the daily talk at Nottingham Forest,” said journalist Pete O'Rourke to Football Insider this week.
“Without Champions League football, it could be difficult for them to hold on to their best players. If somebody comes in with a big bid, and they’re not in the Champions League, it’s going to be very difficult for Nottingham Forest.
nuno-spurs
“They’ve got an owner who is financially sustainable and very willing to compete at the top. If players like Morgan Gibbs-White and Murillo were to leave the club, their recruitment is going to have to be good, and they’re going to have to pump some money in.
“They’ve got to toe the line with FFP and PSR rules. Gibbs-White may just fall foul of that, and he has been hand-picked by bigger and better clubs across Europe, not just in England.”
Nottingham Forest could "soon" move for Marseille star Luis Henrique
Amid the threat of a sell-to-buy summer, Marinakis and co are on the hunt for astute, quality potential new additions, and Marseille forward Luis Henrique certainly falls into that bracket.
The Brazilian has racked up nine goals and 10 assists under Roberto De Zerbi this season, and it is believed he'd cost around £25 million, which is affordable from the perspective of a Premier League side.
Olympique de Marseille's Luis Henrique in action
While Inter Milan have been in talks with Marseille over a move, the Champions League finalists are currently falling below Henrique's price tag in terms of offers, leaving the door open for Forest.
That is according to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna, who reported on X that Forest could "soon" move for Henrique and hijack Inter's deal.
Called a "complete player" by De Zerbi, the 23-year-old Henrique is exactly the calibre of star required by Forest to keep competing at the very top.