Nottingham Forest have now agreed a late deal to sign an “incredible” defender, with his medical currently ongoing, it has been revealed.
Tricky Trees keen on new defender after West Ham disaster
Last time out, Nuno suffered his worst home defeat since taking over as Forest manager, with West Ham United emerging as shock 3-0 winners at The City Ground, and the manager was left extremely disappointed with his side’s performance.
Nuno said: “It’s not the best day to speak. We have to address what is happening. The job now is more about the team, I’m worried about the team because it was shocking.”
The 51-year-old has made it clear he wants to deepen his squad throughout the summer transfer window, and he was left disgruntled by the fact deals have been left to the latter stages of the transfer window.
It appears as though Nuno’s wish has now been granted, with the Tricky Trees advancing in talks to sign S.C. Braga’s Roger Fernandes, while they are also closing in on a deal for RC Strasbourg’s Dilane Bakwa.
Given the manner of the defeat against West Ham, however, Nottingham Forest now want to get another defender through the door, and they have agreed a deal to sign Atletico Madrid full-back Javi Galan.
That is according to a report from The Athletic, which states Galan is currently undergoing a medical in Madrid ahead of completing a move to The City Ground, which will be for an undisclosed fee.
The left-back is set to sign a three-year contract with the Tricky Trees, which includes the option of an extra 12 months, with the £54k-a-week defender set to arrive alongside fellow full-back Nicolo Savona, who recently arrived from Juventus.
"Incredible" Galan should be solid signing for Forest
One of the main reasons Nuno has been keen to get more players through the door is because his side are set to embark on a European campaign, which will mean an increase in the number of fixtures.
The Forest boss said: “So we have ahead of us the Premier League, Europa League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup. You know how many games this means for us. This is the respect that we have to show to our squad. Help them.”
As such, it would make sense to get more players with European experience through the door, and the Atletico defender made six appearances in the Champions League last season.
Not only that, but the 30-year-old has also impressed domestically, being lauded as “incredible” by journalist Pascual Ruiz Arnal after impressing against Real Madrid in the 2024-25 campaign.
Galan’s experience means he should be a solid signing for Nottingham Forest, and it will be music to Nuno’s ears that the deal is now edging towards completion.
