Nottingham Forest’s decision to keep Harry Toffolo in the Premier League has not gone down well with Anderlecht, sporting director Jasper Fredberg telling VRT that he was ‘very annoyed’ to see a January deal collapse.
Toffolo is, at least, still part of Nottingham Forest’s 25-man Premier League squad. That is more than can be said of his former Huddersfield Town team-mate Lewis O’Brien, omitted after a last-gasp loan move to Blackburn Rovers fell through.
Toffolo, like O’Brien, was expected to leave the City Ground before February 1st.
According to HLN, the left-back travelled to Belgium last week after Nottingham Forest reached an agreement with Anderlecht. He even underwent medical tests at one of the Jupiler League’s most historic clubs.
The deal eventually collapsed, however. Forest got cold feet, opting to retain Toffolo until the end of the season due to Omar Richards’ ongoing injury issues.
Nottingham Forest’s Harry Toffolo was supposed to join Anderlecht
“When you go to the transfer market, you have a plan,” Fredberg fumes. “I think we succeeded on some points, but there are others where we didn’t, because of different circumstances.
“(Missing out on Toffolo is) a problem in my opinion. He had the perfect characteristics to fill a gap that we had. I was very annoyed that it didn’t happen.”
Brian Riemer, Anderlecht’s head coach, was equally frustrated.
“I was very surprised. That’s the stupid thing about this transfer window,” adds the one-time Norwich City assistant (HLN).
“Due to – in my opinion – extreme unprofessionalism from that club, Harry was brought back. It is a difficult situation for Jesper and the scouts, because we ended up in a difficult situation. In football, sometimes (agreeing) a deal is apparently not enough.”
Toffolo, a £2.5 million summer signing, started each of Forest’s first four Premier League games since promotion. Renan Lodi, the Brazil international signed on loan from 2021 La Liga champions Atletico Madrid, is now firmly established as Steve Cooper’s first-choice left-back in his place.
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