Nottingham Forest have shown an interest in the Liverpool defender and they could now accelerate a move being in the Europa League.
Crystal Palace have lost their appeal against being demoted from the Europa League.
The Eagles won the FA Cup last season, which earned them a spot in Europe’s second-tier competition. However, because of UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules, Palace have found to have been in breach. John Textor, who formerly held a 43 per cent stake in the club, also owns French side Olympique Lyonnais, who have qualified for the Europa League.
Palace missed the deadline on 1 March to show proof of restructuring their ownership. And despite the Eagles appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), it has been turned down. As a result, Nottingham Forest have been promoted to the Europa League and Palace will compete in the Europa Conference League.
CAS statement
A CAS statement said: “After considering the evidence, the Panel found that John Textor, founder of Eagle Football Holdings, had shares in CPFC and OL and was a board member with decisive influence over both clubs at the time of UEFA’s assessment date.
“The Panel also dismissed the argument by CPFC that they received unfair treatment in comparison to Nottingham Forest and OL. The Panel considered that the UEFA Regulations are clear and do not provide flexibility to clubs that are non-compliant on the assessment date, as CPFC claimed.”
How Liverpool could be impacted
Forest finished seventh in the Premier League last season and they are now preparing to rub shoulders with some major clubs. The likes of AS Roma and Porto are in the Europa League in 2025-26, as well as English rivals Aston Villa.
Certainly, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side will hope that being in the Europa League can help accelerate their transfer business. The club can now negotiate from a more appealing standpoint. And it could well be what is needed to tempt Kostas Tsimikas to the City Ground. The Liverpool left-back has been on Forest’s radar during the summer transfer window. He was left out of Arne Slot’s squad for the Community Shield loss against Palace.
As a result, Tsimikas is third choice - and Liverpool do not require three left-sided full-backs. However, if the Greece international is to depart then he will want to join a club that appeals. Signed from Olympiacos in 2020, Tsimikas has been part of a Reds team that has won four major trophies including the Premier League last season. Granted, he has been number two to Robertson for much of his Liverpool career yet he has been a trusted deputy.
Tsimikas has played 115 times for the Reds, with 21 of those being in the Champions League. The 29-year-old will want to play at as high a level as possible if Europe’s top-tier competition is not possible, which is the Europa League.
In addition, Tsimikas reuniting with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis may appeal. Marinakis is also the owner of Olympiacos. Transfermrkt values Tsimikas at around £15.5 million.
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