Manager ‘happy’ to confirm his captain is joining Nottingham Forest for £8m

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Bologna coach Thiago Motta appears to have confirmed that Nicolas Dominguez is on his way to Nottingham Forest after the Premier League outfit struck a deal worth around £8 million. 

It’s not exactly a secret that the 11-time Argentina international would be on his way to the City Ground before this week’s transfer deadline. Tuttomercatoweb reported on Wednesday, after all, that a deal between Nottingham Forest and Bologna had been agreed; Nicolas Dominguez saying his goodbyes, packing his bags and preparing for a medical. 

But, thanks to Fabrizio Romano, we now know how much Forest will pay. Bologna value Dominguez at around £13 million. But, after including Remo Freuler in the deal, Forest appear to have bartered Dominguez’s price-tag down to somewhere in the region of £8 million. 

Freuler returns to Italy just one year after leaving Atalanta for the East Midlands. Even a player of his poise and experience may struggle to fill a Dominguez-shaped hole, however; the former Velez Sarsfield enforcer a leader both on and off the pitch for the Rossoblu. 

Nottingham Forest to sign Nicolas Dominguez from Bologna

“Dominguez is a fantastic boy. I’m happy (for him) because he wanted to go and try another situation,” Motta tells Tuttomercatoweb. “I’m happy because he made the choice he wanted. 

“He was our captain, he always committed himself to this shirt, and to his team team-mates. I wish him all the best.

“Against Cagliari, (Stefan) Posch will be the captain.”

At less than £10 million, Nottingham Forest will land Dominguez for around a third of the fee it would have taken to bring in Ibrahim Sangare (PSV Eindhoven), Florentino Luis (Benfica), or Youssouf Fofana (AS Monaco). 

Forest also had a bid rejected by Zenit St Petersburg for Wilmar Barrios.

And Dominguez could be one of a handful of late additions before the window closes. Forest are also targeting Callum Hudson-Odoi and Odysseas Vlachodimos as well as a new striker, while manager Steve Cooper has confirmed that deals for Nuno Tavares and Murillo are in the ‘final stages’.