Nottingham Forest face missing out on a bargain £2.6 million deal for Adama Bojang with the prolific Gambian striker reportedly holding out for a move to the Bundesliga rather than the Premier League.
Last week, Newcastle United confirmed the signing of Yankuba Minteh from Danish outfit Odense. Southampton are reportedly keeping tabs on Dembo Saidykhan.
So there is a very real chance that Adama Bojang – one of African football’s brightest young attackers – could end up being one of three rising Gambian talents to touch down in English football before September 1st.
Nottingham Forest, the Daily Mail say, scouted Bojang during the U20 African Cup of Nations earlier this year. Bojang scored four times before Gambia lost to Senegal in the final.
There is also interest from (deep breath) Manchester United, Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves. In short, if you are a Premier League scout, there’s a fairly decent chance you’ve taken notice of Bojang over the last six months.
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Nottingham Forest eye Adama Bojang
The Guardian, meanwhile, believes that a bid of £2.6 million may be enough to do the trick. 19-year-old Bojang is currently plying his trade back in Africa with Steve Biko FC; the Gambian outfit named after the South African civil right’s activist.
Such a small fee means the potential rewards – should Bojang live up to his vast potential in England – far outweigh the risks of bringing him in. The teenager, meanwhile, may feel that first-team football would be easier to come by with Nottingham Forest than at, say, Liverpool, Chelsea or Man United.
“I’ve heard about the news (the rumours). And I am excited about it,” Bojang told BBC Sport Africa in the spring.
“It boosts my morale. I’m focusing more on (gaining) consistency which motivates me a lot, because seeing such clubs following you is a great feeling. Through consistency, it will make them hungrier (to sign) me.”
Bojang, who stands at 6ft 3ins, models his game on arguably the greatest goalscorer of the modern era.
“I want to be like Cristiano Ronaldo,” he adds. “Because he’s my favourite when it comes to the big name players.
“I’ve been watching his videos on YouTube after games. He posts his workout there so sometimes I try to watch those and motivate myself through that.”
The bad news, for Nottingham Forest, is that Bojang is reportedly leaning towards a move to Germany instead (The Guardian). RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt have been mentioned. And both clubs can point to an outstanding track record when it comes to setting young attackers on their path to stardom, see Christopher Nkunku, Timo Werner, Randal Kolo Muani, Sebastien Haller and Luka Jovic.
Rumour rating; 3/10 – With so much competition, and with Bojang eyeing the Bundesliga, Nottingham Forest’s hopes look slim.