Championship play-off finalists Nottingham Forest missed out on Zian Flemming last summer and Fortuna Sittard’s reluctance to sell has ‘paid off’, technical director Sjoerd Ars tells Voetbal Primeur.
You can say that again.
After scoring the winner against Go Ahead Eagles on April 24th, and both goals in a 2-1 away triumph over FC Twente on May 7th, Flemming was at it again on the final day of a gruelling campaign, their very own knight in shining armour rescuing the Eredivisie’s damsel in distress.
His decisive goal, with just 13 minutes on the clock against NEC Nijmegen, was enough to drag Fortuna Sittard out of the relegation places on a dramatic, nail-biting afternoon.
“There was a lot of interest in Zian last year but then we kept him to his contract,” beams Ars. “That paid off nicely!”
Play-off finalists Nottingham Forest wanted Zian Flemming
Nottingham Forest made three separate bids for the Amsterdam-born attacker in the summer of 2021. Flemming even admitted that he ‘wanted to go’ to the City Ground, with Championship rivals Millwall also expressing an interest.
The 23-year-old didn’t let the disappointment over his failed transfer get him down, however, responding with 12 goals and four assists in 28 games for a Fortuna side humming along to ‘Great Escape’, their top-flight status secure.
Retaining Flemming for another season could be easier said than done though, especially if Wembley-bound Forest renew their interest and put Premier League football on the table.
“Ultimately, Fortuna is a development club that has to sell players,” says Ars, who also confirms interest in former Brighton left-back George Cox.
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“It is great that we have value on the field again because that is an important revenue model for Fortuna. We have earned a lot of money from transfers in recent years. If we can keep up with that, at least we are doing well in that area.
“There is a lot of interest in Zian Flemming and George Cox and there are even more players who stand up well.”
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