A “total agreement” is said to have been reached between midfielder Houssem Aouar and Nottingham Forest over a summer move.
However, it seems there is still a hurdle to clear before a deal can be done. Reports suggest the Reds have yet to agree a fee with Lyon for the Frenchman.
Earlier this week it was claimed Aouar had a “provisional contract agreement” in place with Forest. French outlet RMC claim things have now gone a step further, with “a total agreement” existing between Steve Cooper’s side, the player and his representatives.
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The next task is to “find common ground” with Lyon, who have turned down the Reds’ first two bids. If Forest up their offer to around 15m euros (about £12.6m), it is said that “could be the right one”.
Leicester City and Real Betis have also been linked with the 24-year-old, who has a year left to run on his current contract. And Arsenal have previously been credited with an interest, as a move to English football seemingly appeals to the player.
RMC report he “was seduced by the speech of the leaders” of Forest. He is also said to have been lured by the “prestige” of the Premier League and “the prospect of playing very high level matches almost every weekend”.
Aouar came up through the ranks at Lyon, making his first-team debut in a 4-1 Europa League victory over AZ Alkmaar in 2017. Since then, he has racked up more than 200 appearances for the club, scoring 40 goals. He has also represented France at various age group levels, and featured for the senior side two years ago.
Forest boss Cooper has had a busy summer bolstering his squad for the Premier League. A dressing room overhaul was always going to be necessary following promotion as a significant number of players departed this summer.
Remo Freuler became the most recent addition, when he put pen to paper at the City Ground on Sunday night. But further business is expected before the transfer window comes to a close on September 1.
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