Nottingham Forest had seemingly missed the chance to sign Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta last week.
It was claimed that Mateta was keen on signing for Forest before the transfer deadline, with the Reds bidding £35 million for his services.
However, AC Milan stole a march on the competitors for his signature and the Frenchman had looked to be heading to Serie A to complete the transfer.
Now, there has been a late twist on deadline day, with Mateta seemingly set to be in limbo.
Jean-Philippe Mateta fails AC Milan medical
According to Fabrizio Romano, a move for Mateta to join Milan is now over after there were complications over his medical.
The 28-year-old has issues with his knee that recently kept him out of action, and Milan hold serious reservations over signing him.
It’s believed that Crystal Palace have now been informed of this situation with Milan, and it’s not clear whether this will have a knock-on impact on other deals.
Jorgen Strand Larsen – also a target for Forest – has passed a medical at Selhurst Park and was set to sign as a replacement for Mateta.
With Palace set to miss out on the £35 million transfer fee for Mateta, Larsen might have to stay put at Wolves.
Forest might have enjoyed a lucky escape
It’s difficult to imagine any other club taking a chance on Mateta at this late stage, with Milan showcasing to the world that there are doubts over his knee.
Forest can’t risk £35 million on a striker who could get a long-term injury, and it just feels like too much of a desperate risk at this stage.
It does feel as though Forest have got a lucky escape with Mateta, however, and going with Igor Jesus, Lorenzo Lucca and Taiwo Awoniyi feels like the big play.
It will now be fascinating to see what happens with Mateta going forward and whether or not any other club will take a chance on him before the deadline.
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