Nottingham Forest are going to take a more meticulous approach to signing players this summer and now a Euro 2024 star looks to be on the radar.
The Reds have signed Eric Da Silva Moreria and Elliot Anderson so far. Marko Stamenic has also joined but he’s been loaned straight to Olympiacos.
For Forest, it’s all about quality over quantity. Nuno Espirito Santo will want to work with a smaller squad as he looks to really stamp his authority on things.
Forest narrowly avoided the relegation trap door last season and during 2024/25, Evangelos Marinakis will want to see genuine progression on the pitch.
Now, with the transfer window in full swing, a player who has starred at Euro 2024 is being courted by Forest ahead of the new season.
Nottingham Forest want Jaka Bijol
It has to be said that some of the football played at Euro 2024 has flattered to deceive but watching some of the lesser nations has been a joy.
Georgia really caught the eye by beating Portugal in the group stages, whilst for the first time ever, Slovenia reached the knockout stages of a major tournament.
A large reason for that was the solidity of Udinese defender Bijol who, according to EV dello Sport journalist Gianluigi Longari, is on the radar at Forest.
This comes on the back of news that Miran Pavlin is set to be announced as Forest’s new technical director on Monday next week.
Bijol has played 53 times for his country and played in every minute of every game at the Euros as Slovenia technically drew all four games – before losing to Portugal on penalties.
Now, Longari claims that Bijol is wanted by Wolfsburg, whilst Forest have requested further information from Udinese.
Forest need a defender after Moussa Niakhate exit
It was brilliant that Forest managed to get players off of their books before the PSR deadline at the end of last month.
Moussa Niakhate leaving for Lyon saw the club rake in £31 million – but it does mean that the club now need a replacement for him.
According to Squawka, Forest might be getting an adequate replacement, with Bijol winning more headers than Niakhate and more tackles last season.
For a 25-year-old, Bijol has plenty of experience having played for CSKA Moscow 96 times and making 58 appearances for Udinese.
The central defender also had a spell with Hannover in Germany and made a further 31 appearances for them.
Given his age, Bijol has a pretty decent profile and this signing would make a lot of sense if Forest can strike a good deal with Udinese this summer.
