Nottingham Forest have been linked with an interest in Bayer Leverkusen defender Odilon Kossounou - but just who is the centre-back?
After plying his trade in the Ivory Coast as a youngster, Kossounou was spotted at a youth tournament by Hammarby IF in Sweden. He travelled to the club for several periods of training over the coming years, before making a permanent move shortly after his 18th birthday.
Having broken into the first team at Hammarby, he quickly earned himself a move to Belgium with Club Brugge, where he made his name. He won the league twice there, as well as one domestic cup, and caught the attention of a number of teams across Europe.
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It was Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen who won the race for his signature in 2021. He made 27 appearances in the Bundesliga last season, and has featured in 11 league games this term - but has now fallen down the pecking order.
In Germany he has gained experience of playing in both the Champions League and Europa League, making five appearances in each. He also has 16 international caps for the Ivory Coast.
Standing at 6'3", Kossounou is a physical, right-footed defender who nears the top of the European charts for tackle success rate. He is under contract at Leverkusen until 2026 but could be available for a fee in the region of £25million, according to reports.
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