Nottingham Forest are “pushing” to sign an “exciting” new forward, with talks over a deal now “advanced”, it has been revealed.
Forest set sights on new winger after missing out on Lukebakio
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Forest were willing to match Sevilla’s asking price for Dodi Lukebakio, with Nuno keen to add another winger to his squad before the 7pm deadline this evening, but the 27-year-old is now set to sign for Benfica.
As such, the Tricky Trees have been forced to move on to alternative options, with it being revealed that the deal for Strasbourg winger Dilane Bakwa is still alive, but the Frenchman is not the only option on the shortlist…
According to Sky Sports reporter Sacha Tavolieri on X, Nottingham Forest are now “pushing” to sign S.C. Braga winger Roger Fernandes, having now missed out on a deal for Lukebakio.
Talks with the Portuguese club are now at an “advanced” stage, with the Tricky Trees looking to get a deal over the line before Monday’s 7pm deadline.
Chelsea have also been named as potential suitors for Fernandes over the past few days, with the Blues reportedly weighing up whether to trigger the £35m release clause in his contract, but a move to the City Ground now looks like the most likely scenario.
Fernandes would be "exciting" Lukebakio alternative
Just 19-years-old, the Portuguese starlet has already been impressing in his home country for quite some time, with scout Jacek Kulig praising him for his performances in the 2023-24 Liga Portugal campaign.
The teenager is much younger than Lukebakio, who is 27, but he has outperformed the Belgian across a number of key attacking and defensive metrics over the course of the past year.
Average per 90
Dodi Lukebakio
Roger Fernandes
Assists
0.06
0.19
Progressive carries
3.50
4.78
Tackles
0.59
1.96
Interceptions
0.32
0.96
As such, there are clear signs the Braga ace could be a more well-rounded player than Lukebakio, and he already has a great deal of first-team experience under his belt, chipping in with 12 goals and 16 assists in 91 appearances for the Liga Portugal side.
Fernandes could be a fantastic signing for Nottingham Forest, so they should look to get a deal over the line quickly, before Chelsea decide to step up their interest.