Championship promotion hunters Nottingham Forest reportedly made an approach to sign Braga’s Primeira Liga star Nikola Vukcevic earlier in the summer.
One month ago, reports emerged in the Portuguese press that Nottingham Forest were set to sign another Primeira Liga talent to add to the former Benfica duo Joao Carvalho and Diogo Goncalves.
According to A Bola, Nottingham Forest were interested in the Montenegrin midfielder Nikola Vuckevic, whose Braga release clause stood at £13 million – which would have made him the joint-most expensive player in the club’s history along with Carvalho.
And the City Ground faithful were very excited – with one or two even going as far as to compare Vuckevic to Wolves’ Ruben Neves, the former Porto star who dominated Championship midfields en route to the title last season.
In the last few weeks, however, the reports have grown a little cold.
In the meantime, Forest sealed a permanent deal for Newcastle United’s Jack Colback, who shone during a loan spell in the East Midlands during the second half of last season. And The Mirror claims that the next midfield target on Forest’s radar is Liverpool’s young Spaniard Pedro Chirivella, who is reported to be available for £5 million.
In the meantime, Vukcevic appears to have found himself a new club. The 26-year-old, who picked up 10 yellow cards in 30 league starts last season, is understood to have been lined up by Sporting Lisbon, who need a tough midfielder to replace the Real Betis-bound William Carvalho.
It remains to be seen whether Forest decide to step up their interest. But with Colback signed and Chirivella on the radar, it seems that this ship has sailed.
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