Soccer Football - International Friendly - England v Ivory Coast - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - March 29, 2022 Ivory Coast's Serge Aurier reacts as he leaves the pitch after being shown a red card REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
Nottingham Forest reportedly ‘still’ see both Serge Aurier and Loic Bade as ‘active options’ to sign before Thursday’s 11pm deadline.
The Lowdown: Bowler to sign
As per The Daily Telegraph journalist John Percy, Forest are now ‘closing in’ on the signing of Josh Bowler from Blackpool for a fee of £4m plus add-ons.
He would become their 20th signing of the transfer window, and it does not look like they are going to stop there, as Evangelos Marinakis and Dane Murphy look to put the finishing touches on one of the most remarkable summer transfer windows ever.
The Latest: Aurier and Bade to follow?
Taking to Twitter, Forest reporter for The Athletic Paul Taylor has revealed that Aurier and Bade are also ‘still active options’ for Steve Cooper’s side.
Italian football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has since revealed that Bade is indeed ‘set to sign’ on loan from Rennes with an option to buy for £12m.
If they were both to sign on top of Bowler, then they would be the 21st and 22nd signings at the City Ground.
The Verdict: Exciting
This window has been so exciting for Reds supporters seeing so many new signings coming in through the doors, and it looks as if they are going to be active right down to the very last minute.
Bringing in Bade and Aurier will certainly strengthen their defensive options, which is needed following the 6-0 hammering away to Manchester City in the Premier League on Wednesday night.
Nonetheless, Aurier is a name that the fans will recognise after his spell at Tottenham Hotspur, and now a free agent, the Ivorian would bring that extra top-flight experience to Cooper’s squad, and he would not cost them a penny.
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