Nottingham Forest are still £1.3 million away from having an offer accepted for Besiktas player Romain Saiss. The Reds are alongside Everton in this race, with an offer also on the table from Qatar.
The Morocco captain helped his country create history at the World Cup back in November. He led the Atlas Lions to the semi-finals of the competition; becoming the first African nation to reach that stage.
Last summer, he chose to turn his back on Wolves and pen a deal with Turkish outfit Besiktas. Now, a report by Sabah claims that Forest are getting closer to the valuation set by his current club.
The team who finished third in the Super Lig last season want £4 million for their defender. Right now, Forest have offered a deal in the region of £2.7 million and remain a short distance shy of an offer being accepted.
The 33-year-old has bags of experience as a player. He made 206 appearances for Wolves, with 110 of those coming in the Premier League and a further 66 in the Championship.
Medhi Benatia has played alongside Forest target Saiss before. He praised the performer last year, calling him ‘impeccable’ shortly before the Morocco star headed off to play at the World Cup.
Forest still shy of Saiss valuation as they pursue Besiktas man
This perhaps would be a bit of an indifferent signing if Forest get it over the line. On one hand, Saiss would be a cheap option, his age would make him another short-term fix by the club.
That said, Forest have enjoyed some success with experienced players in recent times. Most notably, Felipe was signed last January and was brilliant as the Reds staved off the threat of relegation.
Prior to that the Reds signed Steve Cook as an experienced option and he too was impressive. With that in mind, perhaps some of the Forest cynics would be wise to give Saiss a chance.
Forest have some work to do in order to complete a deal for Saiss. They are a small matter of £1.3 million away and it remains to be seen whether the club will return with another offer.