Derby County star Festy Ebosele has rejected a move to Nottingham Forest, according to The Mail on Sunday (23/01; page 151).
The Rams starlet was the subject of a £500,000 bid from Forest last week. The report claims that it was the player who rejected the move to the City Ground.
Ebosele clearly wants to remain loyal to Derby. They are still eight points adrift of safety following Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at the City Ground.
The youngster will be out of contract during the summer. It’s thought that Premier League and Serie A clubs are monitoring the player who has risen through the Rams’ youth ranks.
Ebosele’s thinking could be getting Derby a better deal. As he’s under the age of 24, the Rams will be entitled to compensation should he leave then.
Forest have clearly identified him as a player to kick on in the future. Given that he’s now rejected a move to the City Ground, it does seem unlikely that the Reds will return.
Ebosele has been thrust into first-team action given the Rams’ perilous fight against administration. He has made 20 appearances during 2021/22, scoring once and claiming two assists.
Wayne Rooney has raved about his versatile performer previously. After he scored against Millwall in November, the Rams boss called him ‘very dangerous’.
Ideal: Ebosele would have been decent Forest signing
Not just because it’d be severely weakening the Derby team, but Ebosele would have been a signing that suited Steve Cooper’s style down to the ground.
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He can play as a right-back or a right-winger and boasts a blistering turn of pace from the right-hand side.
Perhaps his loyalty is admirable. Derby won’t want to lose any players and he’ll be thankful to Rooney for handing him a chance to play regular football.
Given the current situations at both clubs, however, Ebosele might live to regret rejecting the advances of Forest.