Nottingham Forest had agreed a purchase option with Arnaud Kalimuendo's loan to Eintracht Frankfurt
Brian Dick Reach Football Correspondent
10:06, 07 Apr 2026
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Arnaud Kalimuendo of Eintracht Frankfurt celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Bundesliga match between Eintracht Frankfurt and 1. FC Köln
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Arnaud Kalimuendo celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Bundesliga match between Eintracht Frankfurt and 1. FC Köln(Image: Getty Images)
A ‘major financial hurdle’ is likely to prevent Eintracht Frankfurt from triggering the purchase option in Arnaud Kalimuendo’s loan.
That’s according to German outlet BILD who claim the 24-year-old, who arrived at the Nottingham Forest for a reported £26million from Rennes in the summer, faces a ‘swift exit’ despite doing well during his loan with Eintracht Frankfurt.
Indeed Kalimuendo has become an important player for the Bundesliga outift, with five goals and an assist from 11 starts. However with seventh-placed Eintracht likely to have to settle for Conference League football next season – at best – Bild say the €27m option will be a problem for Albert Riera’s side.
The report says judged on footballing considerations alone Frankfurt would like to keep the Frenchman, who scored once more over the weekend, in a 2-2 draw with FC Koln.
But the daunting fee and the need to actually generate a transfer profit rather than loss, makes signing Kalimuendo a ‘tight squeeze’.
While no final decision has been made yet – and will not be so until the end of the season, Bild say ‘current indications strongly suggest that the option will not be exercised’. That will see Kalimuendo return to Forest – which is consistent with what loan manager Owen Coyle Jr suggested in an interview last week.
Coyle Jr said: “He has gone over there, he is performing, he is scoring goals… but he is still very positive about his relationship with Forest. He talks to the other players regularly. He has been back to watch games.
“He is heavily invested in Forest. He will return in the summer and we will see where his future lies at Forest, within the squad plan.”
With Chris Wood set to turn 35-years-old next season, Igor Jesus as yet unproven in the Premier League, Taiwo Awoniyi little more than a rotational player and Lorenzo Lucca’s Napoli future in doubt, Kalimuendo could return in the summer with the first team door ajar.
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