Incoming Nottingham Forest midfielder Gustavo Scarpa has revealed he was first approached to play for Olympiacos.
Scarpa is due to sign for Nottingham Forest in the new year, once his contract with Brazilian giants Palmeiras expires. The 28-year-old attacking midfielder has been speaking about how he pushed for the deal, and the advice given to him by his current boss Abel Ferreira.
Having received the proposal to play for Olympiacos, Scarpa thought it might be a stepping stone to playing in a higher league. Like Forest, the Greek side are also owned by Evangelos Marinakis and are the top team in the country, regularly playing European football.
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Transfer 'approach'
Nottingham Forest showed an interest in Inter Milan’s Hakan Calhanoglu during the summer transfer window, it has been claimed.
Following promotion to the Premier League, there was a squad overhaul at the City Ground which saw 22 signings made. But the Reds also missed out on a number of targets.
According to reports in Italy, Forest made an approach for attacking midfielder Calhanoglu. And they were not the only Premier League club keen, with Newcastle United and Everton said to have made their interest clear, too.
According to CalcioMercato, Calhanoglu “did not take into account” the approaches from the three teams. It is said he remains keen to stay at Inter.
Pundit's verdict
Pundit Simon Jordan has questioned Nottingham Forest bringing in a sporting director more than a month after the summer transfer window closed.
And he has argued Steve Cooper’s position as manager should not be reviewed until the Premier League pauses for the World Cup. Such a scenario would give the Welshman a run of seven league games and one FA Cup tie to try to improve the Reds’ form.
Cooper’s job had come under threat on the back of Monday’s 4-0 thumping at Leicester City which made it five defeats on the spin and saw Forest slip to the bottom of the Premier League table. At a board meeting on Wednesday, it was agreed he should remain in charge for next week’s clash at home to Aston Villa, but his longer-term future is uncertain.
On the same day, the club announced the arrival of former Watford technical director Filippo Giraldi in the role of sporting director. It is understood he has been brought in to audit the sporting side of the business and evaluate the existing infrastructures at the City Ground.
Gerrard sympathy
Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard says he wouldn’t want to be in the situation Steve Cooper finds himself in at Nottingham Forest.
The two sides meet at the City Ground on Monday night, with Cooper handed a stay of execution after a run of five successive defeats. The Welshman’s job came under threat on the back of this week’s 4-0 thumping at Leicester City, but he is set to be in the dugout against Villa.
Cooper remains under pressure, though. And he needs to quickly find a way of getting a new-look squad to gel, following a summer shopping spree which saw 22 signings made - 23 if young goalkeeper Adnan Kanuric is included.
The Reds head coach is yet to settle upon his best XI, while his team have lacked cohesion in recent weeks as players are still getting used to working together. Gerrard has expressed sympathy with the challenge facing his opposite number ahead of next week’s crucial clash Trentside.
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