Marseille book medical for player Nottingham Forest wanted – Romano

Nottingham Forest have missed out on the signing of Renan Lodi after the player edged closer to Marseille. The left-back was a wanted man this summer, with Forest firmly in the mix.

Now, Fabrizio Romano has claimed that his move to the Ligue 1 outfit is close to being finalised. He believes that a medical has been booked for Lodi and the transfer is in the closing stages.

This does represent a bit of a hammer blow for Forest. The club were keen to make the player’s loan a permanent deal but they didn’t want to pay the £25 million that they’d originally agreed on.

Shortly after the club secured their Premier League status at home against Arsenal, Lodi broke down in tears. It showed just how much the club meant to him and there were other factors for the player to consider.

For starters, it became evident shortly after the loan spell ended that Lodi wanted Champions League football. Marseille will enter the qualifying rounds for next year’s tournament and Benfica were also keen.

Lodi made 32 appearances for the Reds during his season on Trentside. He scored once in the Carabao Cup against Tottenham and also registered one assist during his time at the club.

Forest miss out on Lodi with Marseille deal now close
It’s hard to begrudge Lodi this move after the season he had with Forest. The Reds saw what the player was capable of after the World Cup but ultimately, he wanted to play in the Champions League.

The 25-year-old will be going to a club that is on the up right now. They enjoyed a fine season during 2022/23 and they will hope to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League.

Lodi won’t be back at Forest and this is somewhat disappointing. However, it’s now time for the recruitment team at the City Ground to find someone is capable of replacing the Brazilian at left-back.