Oliver Burke joined RB Leipzig on deadline day.
Nottingham Forest chairman Fawaz Al Hasawi
Nottingham Forest owner Fawaz Al-Hasawi admits he rejected two previous bids from RB Leipzig before finally accepting a third offer for youngster Oliver Burke, the BBC report.
The young Scottish forward made a flying to start to the season in Forest colours, scoring four goals in five Championship games and drawing comparisons with Welsh superstar Gareth Bale.
Forest fans would have expected plenty of interest in the 19-year-old come deadline day, yet many were shocked to see the East Midlands club sell him to Leipzig to the tune of £13 million.
Al-Hasawi has told reporters that he turned down two previous offers for Burke before suggesting he finally agreed to sell once receiving a bid the club simply couldn’t refuse.
“There is no sell-on clause for Burke as at first they offered £8m and I turned them down, then they offered £10m and I said ‘no’, Al-Hasawi told the BBC.
“When they said £13m and we will pay it in one go without a sell-on clause, I said ‘OK’. The money we got from the sale is good for the club, especially as they paid the money in one go. It’s good business.”
Oliver Burke celebrates scoring his teams third goal
Forest have been criticised for their poor transfer dealings in recent seasons, leading the Championship club into a transfer bad last season as a result of falling short of Financial Fair Play regulations.
However, while the departure of Burke is disappointing considering the player’s current ability and huge potential, the money on offer allows the club to significantly strengthen other areas.
Forest have won three of their five opening Championship games under new boss Philippe Montanier and with some potential new arrivals in January they could mount a play-off push this season.
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