Could Sabri Lamouchi’s Nottingham Forest welcome Troyes centre-back Boubakar ‘Kiki’ Kouyate to the Championship?
Nottingham Forest are interested in signing £2.5 million defender Boubakar Kouyate from Ligue 2 outfit Troyes, according to Sportime.
A Mali international with three caps on his CV so far, a man better known as ‘Kiki Kouyate’ has spent the last 14 months in France after honing his talents in the fabled Sporting Lisbon academy.
And, interestingly, the two clubs owned by Evangelos Marinakis could go head-to-head for the 6ft 4ins stopper’s signature over the next few months. Olympiakos are apparently keen but, according to Sportime, Nottingham Forest are Kouyate’s most likely destination as things stand.
The 22-year-old is hardly a household name in the East Midlands but that should not matter a jot.
Few had heard of Samba Sow, Thiago Silva, Brice Samba and co before they rocked up at the City Ground during that inspired recruitment drive of 2019 after all. And Kouyate certainly fits the bill for Forest, as another talented, inexpensive addition snapped up right out of left field.
A giant of a centre-half, Kouyate could potentially act as a long-term replacement for 36-year-old skipper Michael Dawson at the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest’s head of international recruitment Jose Anigo has been scouring the French market for potential bargain signings in recent months. It seems for all the world that Kouyate is one he has uncovered.
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