Forest loaned the former FC Porto man to Portuguese side Estoril in the January transfer window.
Lica in action for Portugal against Brazil
Nottingham Forest are digging their heels in regarding Lica’s current situation, and will not allow the player to return to Estoril on loan while they’re paying a large chunk of his wages, as reported by Portuguese newspaper A Bola, covered by Sports Witness.
The 28-year-old winger, who represented Portugal in 2013, hasn’t exactly had the best of times on Trentside, making just seven appearances in all competitions for the Reds since signing from FC Porto in the summer, and was sent out on loan to Estoril in January.
Porto’s Lica watches as the ball flies past him
At Estoril, Lica was seen as a very important player, and made 15 appearances in all competitions – scoring and assisting once along the way – and the club would like to see him return in the summer.
However, according to the report, Forest are only willing to do so if it’s on a permanent basis as they will refuse to pay a hefty portion of Lica’s wages – as they were doing for his loan spell – because the club wish to call time on his City Ground adventure.
Nottingham Forest manager Mark Warburton
Any money freed up will presumably go to the spending budget for Mark Warburton to play with, as the former Rangers boss seeks to turn things around at Forest following a disastrous campaign which saw them finish 21st, but whether Estoril have the finance to a) spend a fee on Lica and b) afford to pay his wages remains to be seen.
If Lica is to take a wage cut then it’s likely that a move to Estoril will commence, but Forest – under fresh ownership from Evangelos Marinakis – won’t be taken for a ride in these transfer negotiations.
Evangelos Marinakis (central)
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