Nottingham Forest are close to concluding deals for the full-backs Neco Williams and Omar Richards after agreeing fees with their clubs. Williams, a Wales international, is poised to join from Liverpool for about £17m and the former Reading player Richards from Bayern Munich for £8.5m, subject to personal terms.
Forest have prioritised full-backs after losing the loanees Djed Spence and Max Lowe. Williams was always their first-choice right-back but the club also opened talks over Manchester City’s Issa Kaboré before deciding not to pay the £15m asking price.
The promoted club have been busy in the transfer market and have acquired Taiwo Awoniyi, Dean Henderson, Giulian Biancone and Moussa Niakhaté as Steve Cooper aims to build a squad more than capable of staying in the Premier League. The latest recruits would take the spending to £60m, including potential add-ons, with more additions expected.
Forest maintain an interest in the Huddersfield duo Harry Toffolo and Lewis O’Brien and face stiff competition for the Wolves winger Morgan Gibbs-White.
West Ham have added depth to their midfield by signing Flynn Downes from Swansea City. The fee for the 23-year-old midfielder, who was a target for Crystal Palace, could reach £12m. Downes is expected to provide cover for Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek.
“We think he’s got good energy,” David Moyes, West Ham’s manager, said. “We think he’s got a lot of things which we have about our team, which we would want to keep and want to add to.
“We brought Jarrod Bowen from a similar situation at Hull, so we’re always trying to find boys from the Championship who we think are going to step up to become Premier League players. I’m hoping Flynn does.”
West Ham, who have seen Mark Noble retire and Alex Kral’s loan from Spartak Moscow end, are expected to look for another midfielder. They had a £20m bid for Lille’s Amadou Onana rejected this week.
Fulham are in talks with West Ham over a deal to sign the French centre-back Issa Diop. A fee has not been agreed and West Ham are hoping to make £20m from selling Diop, who joined from Toulouse for £22m four years ago.
The 25-year-old, who has also been targeted by Lyon, has fallen down the pecking order at the London Stadium and will not be prevented from leaving. West Ham have five centre-backs after the arrival of Nayef Aguerd from Rennes and cannot offer Diop regular football.
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Fulham, promoted last season, made their first summer signing when they bought the Portugal midfielder João Palhinha from Sporting Lisbon. They also want the Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira and the Shakhtar Donetsk winger Manor Solomon.
