Nottingham Forest have been told it will cost them more than £15m to land Juventus full-back Nicolò Savona.
Boss Nuno Espirito Santo is in the market for a new right-back before Monday’s 7pm transfer deadline, and it seems Savona fits the bill.
Initial reports out of Turin claimed Forest had already offered €11m (about £9.4m) for the player, but have been knocked back by Juve, who have responded by demanding a fee of €18 for the Italy under-21s defender.
The 22-year-old only made his Serie A debut last season and has so far gone on to make 28 appearances for the “Old Lady”, scoring two goals along the way. He was also involved in the recent FIFA World Club Cup tournament in the USA.
Tuttosport (via Sport Witness) has explained how Savona became Forest’s priority target after previously being keen on Atlético Madrid’s Nahuel Molina.
They report: “Forest director Edu Gaspar focused on Nahuel Molina. The Reds made a €25m bid, but it was rejected by the La Liga club. Therefore, they have turned their attention towards Savona and have already knocked on Juventus’ door.”
According to Italian media outlet Gazzetta dello Sport , Savona is keen to stay in Turin, but they claim his departure will give Juventus general manager Damien Comolli the resources to make signings of his own. They claim Juve value the player at nearer €20m (about £17m).
Their report adds: “With the two clubs in general favour of Savona’s transfer, Forest have a good chance of securing his services. They will have to first raise their offer.”
Forest have already done business with Juve this summer, signing midfielder Douglas Luiz on a season-long loan with a conditional obligation to make the deal permanent next year.
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