Nottingham Forest 'have the money' to sign Man City star as £55m deal possible
Nottingham Forest are well-placed financially to sign Manchester City star Tijjani Reijnders this summer, sources have told Football Insider.
Despite some initial concerns about his lofty price tag, major departures from the City Ground including the £116million sale of Elliot Anderson means they are ready to spend big.
Oliver Glasner is lining up the addition of a new central midfielder in the final month of the transfer window, and the Man City star is now high on his list of options.
As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider's Transfer Insider podcast, Nottingham Forest have the money to pull off a deal for Reijnders, who has a £55million asking price.
The 28-year-old's future at Man City is up in the air, with speculation that he could be sold lingering desipte him having impressed Enzo Maresca during pre-season.
Forest are the latest of a number of clubs in the Premier League and across Europe to show an interest, and are now well-placed to beat their rivals to a deal.
Could Nottingham Forest make a move for Tijjani Reijnders?
Football Insider revealed on 7 August that Nottingham Forest are plotting a move to sign Reijnders after he emerged as one of their leading central midfield targets.
There are concerns about whether he would be a natural replacement for Anderson given their differing roles in the side, but that will be left for Glasner to resolve.
Should Nottingham Forest decide to make a move, they are financially ready to meet City's asking price, placing them at the front of the queue for his signature.
Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: "Well, obviously, Forest have got money in their pocket to go out and spend following that sale of Elliott Anderson.
"There's always been speculation about Reijnders' long-term future, he arrived last summer from Milan and started off well, but then lost his way in the second half of the season.
"If Forest were willing to pay such a big fee as £55m for Reijnders to City, it would obviously represent a quick profit for City as well on him.
"They signed him for around £46million last summer, so the opportunity to make a profit on him might be tempting for Man City.
"That might be something that they would consider, but as things stand right now, City aren’t planning on letting any more players leave until they bring some in."
How do Man City feel about selling Reijnders?
Despite growing interest from Nottingham Forest and other European clubs, any decision about his future will depend on whether Man City are willing to sell.
Following Maresca's arrival, he has been assessing his squad during pre-season training, and is set to make the final call about any of their futures.
Football Insider revealed last month that Maresca was set to hand Reijnders an opportunity to impress in pre-season as he continues to evaluate his squad.
He has taken that chance well, and impressed during the Citizens' pre-season tour of Asia, but that has done little to deter the growing interest in his situation.
The Netherlands international could be allowed to leave the Etihad after all, and clubs including Forest are keeping a close eye on his situation in case he becomes available.