Man Utd transfer destroyed, as Nott’m Forest reach ‘agreement’ over top-class signing
Gleison Bremer and Odysseas Vlachodimos during Juventus vs Benfica
Manchester United look set to miss out on the signing of Benfica goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos as Nottingham Forest have reached an initial agreement to capture him, according to a trusted source.
Vlachodimos is a 29-year-old shot-stopper who was born in Germany but represents Greece at international level. Following spells at Stuttgart and Panathinaikos, he landed at Benfica in July 2018. Vlachodimos has since gone on to become one of the top keepers in Portugal.
Vlachodimos has had a successful spell at Benfica, having helped them win two league titles and two Portuguese super cups. But he looks set to secure a transfer this summer as he has decided now is the time to take the next step in his career.
On August 21, it emerged that Man Utd were hoping to sign Vlachodimos to replace Dean Henderson, who is on the verge of being announced as a Crystal Palace player.
The Red Devils soon found out that Vlachodimos was ‘keen’ on a switch to Old Trafford, which would see him compete with Andre Onana for a starting place.
But on Monday, Forest moved to ruin that deal. Steve Cooper’s side thundered in with a €9m (£7.7m) offer for Vlachodimos. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano revealed that was lower than Benfica’s asking price, but he added that talks between the two clubs would continue.
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Writing on Twitter, Romano has provided a big update on the situation. He states that Forest have ‘agreed personal terms’ with Vlachodimos ahead of his prospective move to the City Ground.
Forest have yet to strike an agreement with Benfica, though they remain in discussions over a package that would be worth more than that original £7.7m bid.
Nott’m Forest to sign Man Utd target
Should the 33-cap international move to Forest, then he would challenge Matt Turner for the No.1 shirt. Last season, Cooper was able to use Henderson and Keylor Navas, but Henderson will soon play at Selhurst Park while Navas has returned to parent club Paris Saint-Germain.
Erik ten Hag and Man Utd will be disappointed about missing out on Vlachodimos, as he has the ability to become a reliable keeper in the Prem. But it is not all doom and gloom for Man Utd, as they will soon bring in a different keeper to provide competition and backup for Onana.
They are set to sign 25-year-old Turkey international Altay Bayindir from Fenerbahce for a reported £4.3m.