Nottingham Forest are trying to finalise their squad ahead of next weekend’s big kick-off after signing a number of quality players this summer.
The Reds finished their pre-season campaign with a brilliant 4-3 win against UEFA Conference League champions Olympiacos on Thursday night.
Now, it’s all eyes on Bournemouth at the City Ground in the Premier League curtain-raiser as Forest bid to get off to a strong start.
Forest have faced Newcastle and Arsenal in their opening-day clashes since winning promotion and have lost both of those games.
This year, the random fixture generator has been somewhat kinder to Forest – and that piles the pressure on Nuno Espirito Santo to get results on the board.
Now, with just under a week until the opening game, Forest are still being linked with players and a left-back is firmly still on the club’s radar.
Nottingham Forest want Ferdi Kadioglu
According to Sabah in Turkey, the Reds are going to rival Brighton and Southampton for the signing of Kadioglu before the transfer window closes.
The Reds are eyeing a player who has also been linked with Manchester United previously and it won’t be an easy deal to reach.
Kadioglu has been with Fenerbahce since 2018 when he checked in from NEC Nijmegen for a small transfer fee.
During his time in Turkey, he’s kicked on as a player and now at 24-years-old, he’s in demand with a number of Premier League clubs.
Forest have also been linked with Brest defender Bradley Locko and as a result, there seems to be no doubt that a left-back is wanted by the club.
The Reds will have to pull out the stops in the way of a transfer fee to sign Kadioglu before the transfer window closes, with Brighton seeing a £25 million bid rejected.
Fenerbahce have a brilliant bartering chip for their player given that it was only a month or so ago that Kadioglu was starring for Turkey at Euro 2024.
That seems to have placed a hefty bounty on his head and Fenerbahce have made it very clear they don’t want to lose their star man.
Kadioglu scored three goals and claimed five assists from left-back last season and it’s being claimed that £35 million will be needed to prise him away this summer.
Forest would welcome a new left-back this summer
Nothing at all against Ola Aina but last season he did struggle with a couple of niggles and managed to play in 22 of the 38 Premier League matches.
In reserve, there is very little as well. Harry Toffolo is a solid enough professional but if Forest want to progress then the club perhaps needs better.
In Kadioglu, Forest have identified a player who is sought-after in Europe and at 24, he could hold down the position at Forest for many years.
Once again, this is a clear shift in strategy in the transfer market from a Forest perspective and in our view, it’s a refreshing thing to see.
Kadioglu would surely jump at the chance to move to one of Europe’s top leagues but whether Forest have the money to spend on a left-back and convince him to sign for the club remains to be seen.
Lots of praise has been lavished on Kadioglu for his form in recent years, with Spartak Trnava boss Michael Gasparik praising him last season.
He called him ‘fantastic’ and ‘quality’ when quizzed on the form last season of the Forest-linked player
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