Nottingham Forest are incredibly interested in Salzburg’s Mads Bidstrup, with the Danish midfielder now responding to rumours of his departure.
Forest made Bidstrup their top target after an extensive list of options in midfield, including Juventus’ Douglas Luiz.
Reports have suggested that Bidstrup would be open to a move to Forest, but the main stumbling block on a deal will be Salzburg’s reluctance to part ways with their club captain.
Evangelos Marinakis will surely want to test the Austrian side’s resolve with a bid, perhaps with even more confidence than before, given Bidstrup’s comments on a summer transfer.
Mads Bidstrup on the ball for Salzburg against Club Brugge.
Photo by Tomas Sisk / Photonews via Getty Images
How Mads Bidstrup feels about leaving Salzburg this summer
Nuno Espírito Santo wants five more signings after completing a deal for Dan Ndoye, with a central midfielder clearly required after the sale of Danilo.
Bidstrup’s remarkable pressing and energy in central areas look to have put him at the top of the list, sparking conversation about the rumours over in Austria.
Speaking to Austrian outlet Laola 1, Bidstrup said: “I’m really happy here. I like the city and the club; I really feel at home. [I’m] focusing only on Salzburg. After that, there are three weeks until the end of the transfer window. We’ll see.”
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Despite the positive words about the club, Bidstrup didn’t exactly quash the rumours about a move to the City Ground, quotes that will surely tempt Marinakis into a bid.
However, Salzburg’s sporting director Rouven Schröder is attempting to quash the speculation before the Reds can push ahead.
Salzburg sporting director reacts to Mads Bidstrup rumours
Of course, no club would let their club captain leave without a fight, but the lure of the Premier League is hard to turn down.
Also speaking to Laola 1, Schröder is defiant in his efforts to keep Bidstrup and he is confident that he’ll be able to keep him in Austria.
He said: “The fans can rest easy. We are absolutely confident that Mads will stay with us. We want to be successful, and Mads, as captain, is part of that.”
The wait now begins to see what offer Forest present to Salzburg and whether it’ll be enough to convince Schröder to change his mind.