Nottingham Forest are said to have “set their sights” on French defender Mickael Nade as they plan for life in the Premier League.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis has said he will back boss Steve Cooper in the transfer market as the Reds look to put together a squad capable of holding its own in the top-flight. That will mean plenty of comings and goings once the window opens, amid an important summer at the City Ground.
Centre-back Nade has caught Forest’s eye, according to French website L’Equipe. But they will face competition for the Saint-Etienne man’s services.
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Saint-Etienne face a summer overhaul, following relegation from France’s top-flight, with Nade reportedly among the players who could leave. In addition to the Reds, Ligue 1 side Angers are also said to be keen on securing his signature.
The 23-year-old, who has two years left to run on his contract, started out at AAS Sarcelles, before coming up through the ranks at Saint-Etienne. Although he made his Ligue 1 debut in 2017, it was a loan spell at Quevilly-Rouen last season which really helped him progress, with this campaign then proving to be something of a breakthrough.
This term, he made 30 league appearances and was described as his team’s “most reliable defender” by Ouest France last month. “In the end, there is only one certainty in this Saint-Etienne rearguard: Mickael Nade,” they wrote. “The most used player by the Savoyard coach (Pascal Dupraz) since his appointment in December - third overall for the season with 2,837 minutes - the 23-year-old left-hander has become, against all odds, the pillar of a defence dropped by executives in perdition. Against all odds because the native of Sarcelles has long been perceived as a reserve player on whom not many people bet.”
Under Cooper, Forest's defensive solidity has been the perfect foundation on which to build. Joe Worrall, Steve Cook and Scott McKenna proved outstanding as a three-man defence, while Tobias Figueiredo also played his part in the promotion push.
The latter is out of contract this summer, however. The Reds do have youngsters Loic Mbe Soh and Jonathan Panzo on the books, but the promising duo may need to build up their experience before breaking through into the first-team.
