Nottingham Forest have completed the deadline day signing of left-back Luca Netz from Borussia Monchengladbach.
The 22-year-old has put pen to paper on a four-and-a-half-year contract at the City Ground. He is the club’s third arrival of the winter transfer window, following on from striker Lorenzo Lucca and goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.
Netz was due to be out of contract in Germany at the end of the campaign. The Reds have snapped him up for a reported £2 million fee, with add-ons and a sell-on clause included in the deal.
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The youngster signed for Borussia Monchengladbach five years ago after coming up through the ranks at Hertha Berlin. Since then, he has made 124 appearances for the Bundesliga side, including 17 this season.
He has represented Germany at various age group levels, including the Under-21s. AC Milan, Lazio and Torino had been credited with an interest in him but he will now link up with Sean Dyche’s side on the banks of the Trent.
"Nottingham Forest is a great club with a unique history. The chance to play for this club in the Premier League immediately excited me," Netz said. "I am ready for a new challenge and the next step in my career. I am extremely motivated to get started here and am incredibly excited about the first training sessions and matches at the City Ground in front of our fans."
Global head of football Edu Gaspar said: “A part of the model is to add talented young players to the squad that can grow with us. Despite his age, Luca has played well over 100 times at the highest level in Germany, so we are signing a player with a good blend of potential and experience.
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“With the ability to play on the left side, Luca brings balance to our team and we are all looking forward to see him settle in Nottingham and contribute for the rest of the season and beyond.”
Adding a full-back to the ranks was a priority for the Reds going into deadline day. On Sunday, they confirmed the departure of Oleksandr Zinchenko. The Ukrainian’s loan spell from Arsenal was cut short after he had struggled to make an impact Trentside, and he has now linked up with Ajax.
Zinchenko’s exit left Forest short of cover in that department. Ola Aina and Neco Williams have established themselves as first-choice right and left-backs respectively - with both capable of playing on either side - but additional resources were required.
Head coach Dyche is waiting for confirmation of the severity of the injury summer signing Nicolo Savona recently sustained. Additionally, the Reds will be without Williams for Friday’s crunch clash away to Leeds United as he will be suspended following his sending off in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace.
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