Bundesliga side Mainz didn’t want to deny new Nottingham Forest man Moussa Niakhate his dream of playing in the Premier League, something that played a part in the club sanctioning the transfer.
Niakhate completed a transfer to the City Ground this week, signing a three-year contract. The deal will reportedly see Forest pay a fee of €10 million plus an extra €5 million in potential add-ons.
The central defender had been with Mainz since joining from Metz in 2018. In his four years with the club he made a total of 135 appearances, but was ready for a new challenge in England.
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Upon announcing the deal, the Bundesliga side explained the reasons behind accepting the offer from Forest. They also gave an insight into what the Reds can expect from the defender.
“Moussa’s made it clear that he wanted to play in the Premier League during his career. He will now have the opportunity to do so by moving to Nottingham Forest and we didn’t want to deny him this dream,” Board member Christian Heidel told the Mainz’s official website.
“The important thing for us was that the financial aspects of this transfer worked for us. Moussa developed into a true leader and our captain here at Mainz.
“He’s a great guy, who was always professional both in and outside the dressing room. He always gave his all for the club.
“We would like to wish him all the best for the rest of his career and for his personal future. He will always remain a Zerofiver and will always be a welcome guest here.”
Niakhate could make his debut in a Forest shirt tonight (Friday) when Steve Cooper’s side take on Championship side Coventry City in their first pre-season friendly. Both teams meet at the Pinatar Arena in Alicante, Spain with kick-off at 5:30pm UK time.
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