Nottingham Forest defender Jonathan Panzo is set to sign a permanent deal with Rio Ave, it has been claimed.
The centre-back spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan with the Portuguese side. He is coming to the end of his contract at the City Ground and it seems his next move has already been lined up.
According to Portuguese newspaper Record, Panzo will put pen to paper on a one-year deal with Rio Ave. It is said an agreement has been “concluded” and he is to remain at the club until 2026, this time on a permanent basis.
The 24-year-old made 21 appearances and scored one goal during his loan stint in Portugal. By comparison, he has featured just once for Forest since his move from Dijon in January 2022.
His time at Rio Ave represented the latest in a succession of loans for Panzo as he was unable to force his way into contention at the City Ground. He has previously had spells at Coventry City, Cardiff City and St Liege.
The former England Under-21 international is among a number of Reds players whose deals are due to officially expire at the end of this month. Calls will need to be made over their futures as part of a reshuffle of head coach Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad.
An option to turn Aston Villa loanee Alex Moreno’s loan into a permanent move is not expected to be taken up. The full-back has already indicated his time Trentside has come to an end.
Forest have an option to retain the services of Willy Boly for another year but it remains to be seen whether they will activate it. The veteran centre-back has previously been linked with a switch to Saudi Arabia.
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If goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey is to remain at the club it would likely be in a coaching role, although he was offered a similar position with Wales Under-21s earlier this year. Meanwhile, there is a question mark over whether Harry Toffolo will be offered fresh terms.
Reports have suggested a 12-month extension was activated in fellow full-back Ola Aina’s contract when it was confirmed the Reds would not be relegated in 2024/25. Nothing official has been announced, but the additional year would keep him tied to the club until the summer of 2026.
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