Emil Audero admits the challenge of keeping Sampdoria in Serie A was a key factor in his decision to reject a January switch to Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest, speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport.
With Samp bottom of the table and nine points adrift of safety, even the excellence of Audero is unlikely to be enough. At least, from a personal perspective, the former Italy U21 international will emerge from the wreckage that has been Sampdoria’s 2022/23 campaign with his reputation unscathed.
Further opportunities, from clubs in Italy and abroad, are likely to be forthcoming.
Audero, Football Italia say, would have joined Nottingham Forest on an initial loan deal in January, with a £10 million purchase clause in his contract. His wages would have risen considerably too.
But whoever said loyalty is dead? Explaining why he opted to stick around until the summer, Audero admits to putting his personal ambitions aside for the good of the collective, even if it will take a lot more than his cat-like reflexes if Sampdoria are to pull off the sort of Great Escape even the most saccharine Hollywood producer would be wary of buying into.
Could Sampdoria’s Emil Audero still end up at Nottingham Forest?
“I thought every effort was needed to get out of this situation,” Audero says. “I had an offer. But I had to return the trust I received here. It was not right to leave like that.”
Time will tell whether Nottingham Forest return for Audero; the former Juventus goalkeeper who has represented the Azzurri at international level despite being born in Indonesia.
Steve Cooper’s side signed Keylor Navas from Paris Saint-Germain in January. Another shot-stopper may be required, however. Dean Henderson’s loan deal expires in a matter of months. Forest will face plenty of competition if they want to sign the rumoured Tottenham Hotspur target on a permanent basis.
Forest drew 2-2 with Sean Dyche’s Everton in a pulsating City Ground clash on Sunday. A four-game Premier League winless run leaves the two-time European champions just four points off the relegation zone.
In Navas, however, Forest can at least rely upon one of the finest goalkeepers of the modern era; a genuine difference maker in a relegation battle.
“Much of the credit must go to Navas,” Garth Crooks told the BBC after that Manchester City draw. “The Costa Rica international goalkeeper used everything at his disposal to keep City at bay. His fingertip save from Ilkay Gundogan’s free-kick was tremendous.
“Navas has a top-class pedigree. And Forest are lucky to have him.”
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