Could this be a case of, erm, seventh time lucky for Nottingham Forest?
Surely, they’ve got to get it right this time. After so many misses, could Nottingham Forest finally land on the goalkeeper they need to take the club forward?
First came Dean Henderson. Then, the Real Madrid icon Keylor Navas arrived on a short-term deal from Paris Saint-Germain. Matt Turner and Odysseas Vlachodimos then joined and underwhelmed, before Matz Sels proved himself to be an upgrade on one hand but still somewhat unconvincing on the other.
The task now falls to Carlos Miguel, then, to end Nottingham Forest’s pursuit of a top number one at the eighth time of asking.
HITC reported a fortnight ago that Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were closing in on a deal for the 6ft 8ins giant.
Nottingham Forest close in on Carlos Miguel deal
Miguel, who will become one of the tallest players in Premier League history, replaces the Newcastle United-bound Vlachodimos and will set Forest back just £3.5 million due to the reduced release clause in his contract.
A release clause which has sparked no shortage of debate over in Brazil, make no mistake.
Miguel, meanwhile, was not part of Corinthians’ matchday squad for Sunday’s 3-0 trouncing at Cruzeiro. According to Meu Timao, the towering shot-stopper has likely played his final game for the Sao Paulo outfit and is now ‘preparing to leave’.
Forest will just be hoping that Miguel proves to be as successful as the other player they signed from Corinthians. Defender Murillo was, after all, one of the Premier League’s most exciting breakout talents in 2023/24.
“I heard a few things that Nottingham were interested,” Murillo said on the Benja Me Mucho YouTube channel when asked about the propsect of reuniting with his former team-mate in England’s East Midlands.
“I also spoke a lot about him to the people at Nottingham. I spoke to my coach, a lot of things…
“I had just arrived (last summer). We had a goalkeeper problem. I had recommended him at the end of last year.”
“He’s a good goalkeeper. For me, he’s a great goalkeeper, he has a lot to offer, he has room for improvement. If I were you, I’d keep an eye on him and analyse him more closely.”
As for that release clause, Carlos Miguel would have earned Corinthians a staggering £42 million had he departed last year. Due to a quirk of his contract, however, that clause declined significantly once 2023 became 2024, much to the frustration of club president Augusto Melo.
Corinthians preparing for goalkeeper’s departure
“We had information from Carlos Miguel. We talked about the renewal, we waited, we were reassured that everything would be ok. There wasn’t much to do,” Melo told ESPN.
“Why was there a clause of 50 million euros until December 31st and, from January 1st, a clause of 4 million euros? We are hostages. There is nothing we can do. If the player and the agent do not want to renew.
“Yes, there is talk, noises that they are going to pay the clause and that he is going to leave. “Unfortunately, the way this contract was created scares us,”
Melo also confirms that Corinthians are already chasing potential replacements.
“We are already talking to other goalkeepers. A scout (report) is being carried out,” he adds. “We don’t want people in here who don’t want to stay. Everyone has the right to leave.
“We want people who want to stay and play for Corinthians.”
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