Nottingham Forest accelerate plan to sign ‘excellent’ Derby County player
Nottingham Forest have registered an interest in Derby County goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom as a surprise move between arch-rivals potentially beckons.
The goalkeeping ranks at Nottingham Forest have been chopped and changed a lot in recent years, owing to their quick rise to the upper echelons of the Premier League.
John Victor joined Forest in the summer alongside Angus Gunn, with Carlos Miguel and Matt Turner both making permanent exits, but Matz Sels has been the one constant as their first-choice between the sticks.
Jacob Widell Zetterstrom has been impressing for their East Midlands rivals Derby County in recent times, with his standout performances seeing him hailed as one of the best stoppers in the Championship right now.
The Swede has started this campaign well under John Eustace, and could be about to make a surprising switch to the Rams’ biggest enemies as they try to tie him down to a new contract.
Forest ‘monitoring’ Jacob Widell Zetterstrom as Derby plot new contract talks
Zetterstrom’s strong recent form earned him a nomination for October’s Championship Player of the Month award, and also a competitive debut for Sweden against Slovenia earlier this month.
Sky Sports (28 November) have reported that Forest are monitoring Derby keeper Zetterstrom right now, and are the latest top-flight admirers of the 27-year-old after he was linked with Brentford in the summer.
Derby are continuing to weigh up offering him a new contract amid growing interest in his services, with Zetterstrom’s current deal set to expire in 2027.
What John Eustace and Zetterstrom have said about his Derby future
It remains to be seen whether Forest will move for Zetterstrom in January if no new deal has been agreed at Derby, especially with Brazilian keeper Victor impressing when he has been given chances in the Europa League this season.
The Rams’ strong form could convince the Swede to sign soon as they target a play-off place this season, and boss Eustace recently admitted that he would like him to stay but was unsure if contract talks were taking place.
Speaking to Derbyshire Live, he said: “I’m sure it’s (a new contract) in the pipeline. I haven’t spoken to Jacob myself, but obviously, Jacob’s development since we’ve come in has been excellent.
“He’s been a top performer and to get the 90 minutes for his country now, he’s shown that he’s doing some fantastic work.
“We want all the best players to stay and be part of this journey for the next two or three seasons.”
Zetterstrom is undoubtedly a key man for Derby, and the thought of losing him to their biggest rivals Forest will not be one that many fans want to even consider right now.