Nottingham Forest will announce the signing of Moussa Niakhate soon, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The defender has been the subject of intense talks between the Reds and his current club Mainz and an agreement has been reached.
Forest made a bid for the player last month. That was refused by the Bundesliga outfit and some reports claimed that talks were off.
The newly-promoted outfit have stood firm though and now they’ve got their man.
Romano claims that Forest will pay £10 million for Niakhate with a further £5 million included in add-ons.
The 26-year-old will pen a four-year contract at the football club and a medical is now set for later this week.
Niakhate will leave Mainz after four years with the German outfit. He signed in 2018 from FC Metz and has made 135 appearances for the club.
Furthermore, the defender has been the club’s captain for the last 18 months and losing their player is a serious blow.
Now, he’s set to embark on a new chapter with Forest and this could be an exciting signing.
Niakhate typically plays as a left-sided central defender, although he can also play as a wing-back.
Forest to announce Niakhate and he could prove to be a gem
This one looks like a useful signing and given the transfer fee involved, it looks like a shrewd piece of business.
Clearly, the Reds have identified the Bundesliga as a market where bargains are there to be had.
Naturally, another defender was likely to be on the radar and he will provide useful competition to the squad.
Niakhate is strong in the tackle, wins lots of aerial challenges and perhaps more crucially, he can play out from the back.
Steve Cook, Joe Worrall and Scott McKenna will all get a fair crack of the whip but more quality across the board will be demanded.
Niakhate brings top-flight experience with him and he could be a really useful signing for Forest.