Nottingham Forest have agreed a £3 million deal for Abdou Harroui but the Sparta Rotterdam star could turn down the Championship strugglers, according to the Algemeen Dagblad.
Now, this is the last thing Chris Hughton needed.
After losing all three of their opening Championship fixtures, Forest were humbled 4-0 at home by Wolverhampton Wanderers in the EFL Cup this week too.
While the two-time European champions have shown plenty of ambition in the transfer market, convincing their top targets to sign on the dotted line is proving to be easier said than done – just to add to the frustration.
Dinamo Zagreb striker Sandro Kulenovic has already snubbed Forest’s advances.
Cash-strapped Reading have rebuffed approaches for Josh Laurent and Tom Holmes, while Matty Longstaff and Zian Flemming look set to slip through Hughton’s fingers too.
Just when Nottingham Forest appeared to have made a welcome breakthrough – agreeing a £3 million deal for Dutch U21 international Harroui – it seems things have ground to a halt over the last couple of days.
More frustration for Nottingham Forest?
When Harroui was left out of Sparta Rotterdam’s Eredivisie draw with Heracles last weekend, it seemed only a matter of time before the talented play-maker was on his way out the door.
Almost a week later, he is still a Sparta player.
According to AD, the Rotterdammers are praying that Harroui puts pen to paper with Nottingham Forest before Tuesday’s deadline – £3 million would mean a lot to a club of this size after all – but the 23-year-old appears to be holding out for something else.
It is understood that Harroui has not signed a contract with the City Ground club.
His agents, meanwhile, are now in talks with other suitors as a deal for one of Holland’s most exciting young midfielders threatens to go down to the wire.
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