Nottingham Forest are set to sign Benfica defender Morato in a £12.6 million deadline day deal while James Ward-Prowse is due to join on loan from Premier League rivals West Ham United.
- Exclusive from Graeme Bailey
While Nottingham Forest have been left frustrated in their pursuit of a new centre-forward – Eintracht Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush going the same way as Eddie Nketiah, Santiago Gimenez and Yoane Wissa – the City Ground could still welcome at least two new faces before Friday night’s 11pm deadline.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are closing in on loan deal for West Ham midfielder James Ward-Prowse.
The £30 million England international has fallen down the pecking order at the London Stadium. West Ham strengthened their engine room with deals for Guido Rodriguez, while silky Spain star Carlos Soler is expected to join from Paris Saint-Germain.
Alongside Ward-Prowse, Nottingham Forest have also agreed a fee with Benfica for defender Morato.
Nottingham Forest to sign James Ward-Prowse and Morato
The City Ground outfit will pay 15 million euros, or £12.6 million.
Morato was heavily linked during the summer of 2023 as well – alongside Fulham – and Forest look set to get their man a year later.
The 23-year-old Brazilian is a left-sided defender who can play as a centre-half or as a full-back. He will add extra depth and competition to Nuno’s backline, with the sale of Goncalo Ramos to Paris Saint-Germain last summer denying them the chance to land Morato 12 months earlier.
“We sold Goncalo for 65 million euros, plus 15 in bonuses. It could reach 80 million euros,” Benfica president Rui Costa told DH when explaining why Morato ended up staying in Lisbon back in 2023.
“People have to understand that no club in Portugal can maintain their accounts and pay salaries without selling players. In the case of Goncalo, only with a sale could we prevent the departures of (David) Neres, Morato, Florentino and (Petar) Musa.
“The sale of Goncalo Ramos allows us to reach the end of the summer without having to sell more players.”
No new striker at City Ground as Omar Marmoush makes call
Morato will, for all intents and purposes, act as a replacement for Moussa Niakhate. The giant defender left for Lyon earlier in the window, having been Forest’s first-choice left-sided centre-back for much of his two season-spell in the East Midlands.
Ward-Prowse, meanwhile, could be a truly transformative addition for a team who are used to circling the Premier League plughole, only to pull clear of the drop in the last few campaigns.
An outstanding set-piece taker and a fine technician, the former Southampton captain may be leaving West Ham already but that does not mean a player who labelled a ‘super signing’ by then-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp struggled at the London Stadium.
In contrast, Ward-Prowse ended David Moyes’ final season in charge with seven goals and 12 assists from 52 appearances.
But while Forest will end the window with a new defender and a new midfielder in their ranks, HITC understands that they are no longer expecting a striker in the building.
Forest failed with a £25 million bid for Brentford ace Wissa this week while talks over a £28 million move for Gimenez hit the buffers.
Omar Marmoush, meanwhile, has now confirmed that he will be staying in the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt despite holding advanced talks over a move to England as recently as Thursday.
“I’m really looking forward to the season (with Frankfurt),” Marmoush says in quotes reported by Kicker. “The love that I’ve noticed in the last few days has touched me deeply.”
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