Nottingham Forest have failed with a move to sign Youssouf Fofana during the transfer window. West Ham are now thought to be alone in the race to sign the defensive midfielder from Monaco.
According to RMC Sport, the Reds asked the question about the player. He knocked back the prospect of joining Forest but is expected to be on the move this summer.
Forest look to be moving on from Ibrahim Sangare. The PSV performer is thought to be the top target for the defensive midfield void but signing him won’t be easy.
Fofana is another that Forest can scrub off of the list. The Reds had made a proposal to his representatives but it’s thought that the player wasn’t sure over a move to the City Ground.
The 24-year-old has been with Monaco since 2020. He joined the club from Strasbourg and has made 140 appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit.
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During his time a the club he’s scored just three times and claimed 11 assists. He’s also made 10 appearances for the France national team during his career.
Forest have failed in move to sign Fofana
This one fell on its backside pretty quickly from a Forest perspective. The Reds asked the question but were knocked back by the player which is a shame.
Fofana fits the profile of a Forest player very nicely. Steve Cooper might have relished the chance to work with him and perhaps he will be disappointed by this.
In the past, the player has been called ‘magnificent’ by scout Jacek Kulig. He’s very comfortable on the ball and plays the defensive midfield role exceptionally well.
Forest will likely start Saturday’s game at Arsenal without a recognised defensive midfielder. Danilo, Orel Mangala and Ryan Yates occupied those positions last season.
All three of those players have their own qualities. It’s fair to say that Forest could just do with a recognised enforcer in there, however, and the search now continues.