Nottingham Forest are now trying to sign a player who was scouted by the club before they signed Ibrahim Sangare last summer.
The Reds are going to be active in the transfer market this summer, regardless of the division they find themselves in.
Forest will likely prioritise outgoing business with financial fair play loitering again but some new additions will naturally be made too.
Sangare checked in for £30 million following the departure of Brennan Johnson and he became the club’s record signing when he moved from PSV.
Now, it’s been claimed that Forest want to add a player who was courted as an alternative to the Ivorian last summer.
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Nottingham Forest want Mandela Keita
The defensive midfielder is going to be a wanted man this summer – and it’s claimed that Royal Antwerp want to hit the jackpot.
According to Het Nieuwsblad, Forest are in the race alongside Manchester United and West Ham for his signature during the window.
It’s also claimed that Blackburn, Leeds and Norwich are all monitoring the midfielder closely ahead of transfer season commencing.
The Belgian outfit are hoping to hit the jackpot with regards to Keita and they value him at just over £25 million.
Antwerp will buy the player from OH Leuven in the summer at the end of his loan but the player could soon be winning his way to England in the summer.
Who is Mandela Keita?
The player typically operates in the middle of the park and acts as an anchor in the centre of midfield.
Although the player has registered three assists this season, it’s fair to say that his qualities come on the defensive side of things.
Keita is the ninth-best central midfielder in the Jupiler Pro League when it comes to tackling and has made 84 from 21 appearances.
According to Who Scored, he’s also made 41 interceptions during the campaign as well as making 968 accurate short passes.
Keita, 21, came through the youth ranks at Leuven and also spent some time on the books with Genk too during the early stages of his career.
In 2023, the player was rewarded for some fine club form and earned a chance on the international stage with Belgium.
Keita signing could be bad news for Sangare
In our view, it would make little sense to have Keita and Sangare in the squad given that the stats suggest he performs a similar duty.
If Keita does end up at Forest it could spell the end for Sangare and perhaps the club feel they could get their money back.
The 26-year-old hasn’t been too bad for Forest but he’s certainly not lived up to his sizeable price tag.
Still, the Ivorian probably does deserve a full pre-season at the City Ground and then the fans might see the best of Sangare in a Forest shirt.
Keita does have some bigger clubs after him than Forest but if he does arrive on the banks of the River Trent, Sangare might find himself departing the club.
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