Nottingham Forest serious on signing new £20m “giant”

Nottingham Forest and Evangelos Marinakis are now eyeing a move to sign a £20 million “giant”, according to a new report.

Morgan Gibbs-White on Forest’s surprise season

No one would have expected Forest to not only be within a chance of a European spot for next season but also to be a favourite to finish in the top four with just nine games left to play in the campaign.

It has been a tremendous campaign for everyone involved at the City Ground, and with recent wins over Manchester City and Ipswich Town keeping them on track to finish in the top four, midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White believes Forest deserve to be in the position they are inas the captain has been a key performer in helping the club achieve this unexpected glory.

Gibbs-White told BBC Radio 5 Live: “It’s been a remarkable year. Just to see where we have come from, from this time last year, is incredible. I think the Forest fans deserve that the most.

“Getting back into the Premier League was one thing. Scrambling in relegation for the two years we were in the Premier League obviously wasn’t nice. It wasn’t good; it wasn’t enjoyable, but now we have given the fans something to cheer about.

“The funny thing is that in pre-season we had belief that we could do something this season. Did we think to this level? Probably not, but we felt that we could achieve something good this season.

“With the pre-season we had under the manager, because he perfectly implemented his ideas and his man management and his belief in his players, he really got to know everyone individually, and I think that is what has helped us massively. So, did I think we would be in this position? No.

“Would I have snapped your hand off? Yes. I think we deserve to be in the situation that we are in. We work so hard, day in and day out, to achieve these goals.”

Nottingham Forest plotting move to sign new £20m “giant”

So as Forest close in on a place in next season’s elite competition, they are putting plans in place for the summer transfer window. According to TuttoSport, relayed by Sport Witness, Nottingham Forest are serious about signing Lorenzo Luccawho stands at 6ft 7, from Italian side Udinese.

The report states that AC Milan see the forward as a summer target, but they face competition from the Reds as well as Napoli. 10 goals in 28 Serie A games this season have put him on the radar of a few clubs around Europe, with Milan trying to sign him in January, but a deal didn’t work out.

They remain interested in signing the 24-year-old, who has been described as “the giant from Moncalieri”, but it is believed they will find it difficult to sign him in the summer. This then leaves the door open for Forest, who could be in the market for a new striker to help Chris Wood and replace him in the long term. It is reported that a fee of €25 millionwhich is roughly £20 million, will be enough to complete a transfer.

This wouldn’t be the first time Forest have turned to Serie A to complete a transfer, as they signed defender Nikola Milenkovic from Fiorentina last summer, and he has been pivotal in a defence that has conceded just 35 goals so far in the Premier League.

The latest report says that Forest could look to repeat their success in Serie A after landing Milenkovic with a move for Lucca, making this one to watch.