Nottingham Forest have been working on a couple of deals ahead of the summer transfer window slamming shut later tonight.
The Reds have already added nine players to the squad this summer, with quality over quantity very much the order of the day.
James Ward-Prowse is set to sign for Forest on loan from West Ham until the end of the season and perhaps the only blemish is the lack of a striker.
With the deadline now looming large, it would be extremely surprising to see any new names come into the mix for Forest.
However, things are ramping up to a certain degree and now one of the signings is very close to being announced on Trentside.
Nottingham Forest set to sign Morato from Benfica
According to Sky Sports, the deal to sign the burly central defender is now set to be officially announced.
Morato will check in for a fee in the region of £15 million from the Portuguese giants and will bolster the defensive ranks.
The player has arrived at the City Ground for his media duties and it seems as though the defender will sign ahead of the deadline.
Morato will not only bolster the club’s defensive ranks but he will also check in and boost the club’s contingency of Brazilian players.
The defender has been with Benfica since 2021 when he signed from Sao Paulo and he’s leaving after playing 86 times for the club.
Morato signing could hint at strategy tweak
In the cup on Wednesday night, Nuno Espirito Santo opted to play with three central defenders and the Reds played well against Newcastle.
When Forest have played league games, the boss has typically gone with a 4-2-3-1 but the signing of Morato could mean a tweak to a three-man defence.
It does feel unlikely that Morato will have signed to play as a substitute and it’s also equally difficult to see Murillo or Nikola Milenkovic missing out.
Having quality players and competition for places is a good thing though and at 23, the player fits the profile of what Forest have tried to do this summer.
It will now be fascinating to see what sort of team Espirito Santo puts out following the international break when Forest go to Liverpool with Morato in their squad.
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