Revealed: Nottingham Forest player rejects PL trio to agree terms with RB Leipzig
EXCLUSIVE By Pete O’Rourke
Nottingham Forest’s teenage defender Matthew Bondswell has rejected offers from Manchester United, Liverpool and Southampton to join RB Leipzig, Football Insider sources understands.
Bondswell is regarded as one of the most promising youngsters in the country after impressing for Forest and England over the last year.
The athletic left-back was a regular in Forest’s Under-18s side last season and he also has also excelled at England youth level at various tournaments.
Forest were determined to keep Bondswell as they have high hopes for him in the future, but the 16-year-old turned down the offer of a scholarship deal at the City Ground.
Forest will be due training compensation for Bondswell, but the minimal fee will be nothing compared to his potential worth in the future if he keeps progressing.
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The news alerted a number of Premier League clubs to Bondswell’s availability with a well-placed source telling Football Insider that Premier League big guns United, Liverpool and Southampton all tabled offers for the left-back.
However, ambitious German side RB Leipzig have moved quickly to agree a deal with Bondswell and the teenager has snubbed the chance to go to the Premier League to make the move to the Bundesliga.
Bondswell is the latest young English talent to make the move to Germany feeling the pathway to first-team is quicker than it would be at any of his Premier League suitors.
In other news, the club’s bitter rivals are working on a deal to sign the most creative player in English football in what would be a sensational transfer.