Nottingham Forest are on the brink of completing a deal to bring Callum Hudson-Odoi to the City Ground in a permanent transfer that will tie the winger to the Tricky Trees for most of his 20s.
Forest have been pursuing exciting flanksman Hudson-Odoi for some time, though they have had to wait until the dying embers of the transfer window to land their man.
The 22-year-old spent the previous campaign on loan with Bayer Leverkusen, where he racked up 21 appearances in all competitions, scoring once.
Hudson-Odoi is the latest recruit to sign on the dotted line at Forest following another busy summer for the ambitious Midlanders.
Hudson-Odoi to Forest – the full details
Callum Hudson-Odoi will be a new permanent signing at Forest and the Reds are believed to be parting with as little as £8m for his services.
Just a couple of years ago, Hudson-Odoi was considered the jewel in the crown at Chelsea’s academy and he was tipped for a career at the very top.
Indeed, the wide attacker, who scored 16 times in 126 appearances for the Blues, was once a £50m target for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, though his stock has fallen since.
Nevertheless, Forest a picking up a player of considerable talent at a knockdown fee and with plenty of upside to the deal, manager Steve Cooper will hope to extract performances from the forward in the Premier League this season.
Fulham made a late dash to try to sign Hudson-Odoi from under Forest’s noses, though the Reds have beaten off the Cottagers’ last gasp efforts to secure his signature.
Busy Forest’s summer shopping
Alongside the Deadline Day capture of Callum Hudson-Odoi, Forest are also closing in Arsenal’s Nuno Taveres, who is expected to join on loan for the duration of the 2023/24 campaign.
Tavares is expected to cost just £1m in terms of a loan fee and Forest will have an option to buy the Portuguese starlet for £12m plus £3m in add-ons if he impresses.
Forest have already brought attackers Anthony Elanga and Chris Wood to the club from Manchester United and Newcastle respectively, while their defensive options were boosted by the arrivals of Murillo, Ole Aina and Gonzalo Montiel.
Murllo was wrangled away from Brazilian side Corinthians for around €12, while Ola Aina and Gonzalo Montiel were picked up from Torino and Sevilla respectively on free transfers.
In former Arsenal man Matt Turner, they now have a new number one between the sticks, while gifted Brazilian Andrey Santos has also joined on loan from Chelsea.
There haven't been too many high profile departures from Forest, with Sam Sturridge, Braian Ojeda and Jack Colback the biggest names to exit over the summer, though there are fears that Forest could lose star-player Brennan Johnson before the close of business today.
Tottenham have been locked in discussions with Forest about a potential £50m deal for the Welsh international and the arrival of Callum Hudson-Odoi could be an indicator of developments elsewhere.
