Nottingham Forest plot deal for star who Martin O’Neill loves amid huge Davide Frattesi twist

Nottingham Forest have just seen their pursuit of Davide Frattesi take an unexpected twist.

The Premier League side have been strongly pursuing a move for the Inter Milan star in recent days, after he has fallen down the pecking order at the San Siro this season.

Newcastle were linked with Frattesi earlier in the season, but it is Forest who have come to the fore with their interest since the start of the January window.

Sean Dyche and Co. are chasing the final additions to their squad as they bid to put daylight between themselves and the relegation zone, but they may be forced to change their transfer plans at the final moment.

Nottingham Forest eye Celtic star as Davide Frattesi move could be off

Forest have been pushing to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta of late, but could now lose out on a deal, and their chase for Frattesi could be about to end in similar fashion.

Inter want to sign Curtis Jones as a replacement for the Italian, but Liverpool will only allow him to leave on loan if they can agree a new contract for him first, according to Gianluca Di Marzio.

That twist leaves Forest playing a waiting game, as Inter have now outlined that they won’t allow Frattesi to leave unless Jones joins their group in the limited time that remains before the deadline.

The development surrounding Frattesi’s future has coincided with Forest plotting a move to sign Celtic midfielder Arne Engels, who Martin O’Neill is a particular fan of.

The Belgian has started in every game since the 73-year-old returned to Celtic in early January, having also started in seven of the Forest legend’s eight games in charge during his previous interim spell.

O’Neill’s admiration for Engels is clear in his team selections, and he also labelled the 22-year-old as “great” during a post-match interview in December, as per The Celtic Star.

A move to the Premier League could now be on the cards for the Celtic man, with a last-minute switch to the City Ground deemed as “possible” by journalist Florian Plettenberg.

How much would Arne Engels deal cost Nottingham Forest?

Football Insider revealed earlier in January that Celtic would only sell Engels for a sizeable profit, given that he was their record signing when he first came to the club.

The £11million that the Glasgow giants shelled out to sign Engels from Augsburg back in 2024 still stands as the Bhoys’ biggest ever buy, and he is still tied down at Celtic Park until the summer of 2028.

With that in mind, it seems inevitable that a deal would at least cost Forest a fee in the region of £20-£25m, especially in the middle of a season where there is little incentive for Celtic to cash in.

Dyche and Co. could yet see their plans thwarted with their chase of Frattesi, but striking a deal for Engels could prove equally as difficult.

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