Nottingham Forest have been actively pursuing Juventus’ Douglas Luiz throughout the transfer window, but more progress looks to be being made on an alternative to the Brazilian.
There’s no doubt that Luiz remains wanted by Edu and the recruitment team, but Juventus want to sign a replacement for Luiz first, which will delay any progress.
To make matters even more difficult, it’s been suggested that Liverpool and Tottenham are monitoring Luiz, meaning that Forest would be competing with the pull of Champions League football.
Clearly, then, having alternatives in mind is a smart play by Forest, with one in particular progressing to a point where the Italian media are expecting imminent movement.
Yunus Musah in action for AC Milan against Fiorentina
Photo by Francesco Scaccianoce/Getty Images
Nottingham Forest’s Yunus Musah pursuit gathers pace
Forest have identified Yunus Musah as a Luiz alternative with the USA international in a somewhat similar situation at AC Milan, able to leave the Italian giants for the right bid.
Nottingham Forest News revealed that Forest were offered Musah at the beginning of July, and according to Gianluca Di Marzio, the Reds are said to be in intense talks to progress the deal.
The Italian journalist said that contacts between the two clubs have been ongoing through the night, with Friday said to be a potentially crucial day in negotiations.
MORE FOREST STORIES
With the Luiz deal proving difficult due to Juventus’ need for midfield reinforcements, Musah may jump ahead of the Brazilian in Forest’s transfer priorities. However, they will have to compete with a familiar foe to secure the 22-year-old.
Nottingham Forest face a battle to secure Yunus Musah
Musah is a versatile midfielder who can also play out wide so he could potentially solve a number of problems in Nuno Espírito Santo’s squad, but the Reds aren’t the only club in the race.
According to Di Marzio: “It’s worth remembering that Napoli are also interested in the player, having made moves in recent days, with the player giving priority to the Azzurri. However, the offer from Antonio Conte’s club is far from the €30 million put forward by the Premier League club.”
It's a fantastic first senior goal from Yunus Musah! 👏
What a moment for the 17-year-old Englishman as he gives Valencia the lead 🦇 pic.twitter.com/0hcqb1U8i4
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) November 1, 2020
View Tweet
Of course, Forest beat Napoli to sign Dan Ndoye this summer, so the clubs are clearly shopping in the same market.
Musah may prefer a move to the Serie A champions, but they haven’t been able to match Forest’s £26m offer which could be enough to give the Reds time to convince the American of the project at the City Ground.