Nottingham Forest transfer news: Forest bid ‘rejected’ as Premier League tug-of-war awaits

Nottingham Forest have seen a £17m bid for Royale Union Saint-Gilloise wing back Anan Khalaili ‘rejected’, with two other Premier League sides reportedly monitoring the situation of the 21-year-old.

According to The Athletic, the Tricky Trees are viewing Khalaili as an alternative to the previously tracked Givairo Read. With multiple clubs, in England and elsewhere in Europe, interested it remains to be seen whether Forest return with a second bid in the coming days.

Who are Forest competing with for Khalaili?

Khalaili, who has been capped 16 times for the Israeli national team, is a player in demand. Being capable of playing a traditional fullback role, as a wing back or as an outright winger, he will bring a strong profile to the right hand side of most teams.

Oliver Glasner is said to be a big fan, with the former Palace boss reportedly wanting to add further athleticism to his Forest backline. Reports have also indicated that Newcastle and Bournemouth are both interested in the player as well.

On top of that, Inter Milan have heavily been linked too. Khalaili was seen as a direct replacement for Denzel Dumfries but Inter were turned off the deal due to medical question marks.

FW verdict: USG will sell Forest target

Whilst the current situation pins Khalaili as a USG player, it’s hard to see it staying like that. The player was seemingly all set to head to Serie A a month or so ago and whilst Forest’s opening bid has been rejected, we’re expecting someone to push again.

With a couple of extra million added to the price tag, or a structure that gives the Belgian outfit more cash upfront we’d expect the player to move to a big five league before the summer transfer window closes. Which club will land him, however, remains to be seen.