Nottingham Forest have now made a £5m bid for the “hardest defender” Lionel Messi has ever faced, having struck an agreement with his entourage on personal terms, according to a report.
Forest looking to kick on after impressive 2024-25 campaign
Although they will be disappointed to have missed out on the Champions League, Forest defied all expectations by finishing seventh in the Premier League last season, but Simon Jordan believes it will be very difficult to build on a remarkable 2024-25 campaign.
The talkSPORT presenter said: “They’ve got the resources in the fella (Marinakis), but he can’t introduce the money because it’s not allowed because of the governance. So unless there’s going to be a governance change, it’s very difficult to see lightning striking twice.”
Given that Europa Conference League football will be on offer next season, however, a move to the City Ground should be appealing this summer, and the Tricky Trees have set their sights on a new winger, with Juventus’ Timothy Weah and FC Porto’s Pepe emerging as targets.
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Despite already having Ola Aina at his disposal, Nuno is also interested in signing a new right-back this summer, and an offer has now been made for Mallorca’s Pablo Maffeo, with Forest submitting a €6m (£5m) bid for the defender’s services.
That is according to a report from El Chiringuito (via Sport Witness), which states Nuno’s side are now pushing to secure a deal for Maffeo, having already struck an agreement with his entourage on personal terms.
Mallorca don’t have a pressing need to cash-in on the defender, as he remains contracted until the summer of 2027, but they are now set to weigh up Forest’s offer, which would allow them to double their money, having signed him from Stuttgart for €3m (£2.5m) back in 2022.
Maffeo leaves lasting impression on Messi
Very few full-backs have been able to cope with Messi throughout the Argentinian’s illustrious career, with the 38-year-old widely regarded as the greatest player in history, but the Spaniard once gave the Barcelona legend a very tough time during his spell with Girona.
Although Barca ultimately triumphed 3-0, Messi was unable to get on the scoresheet, and the forward went on to say: “Pablo Maffeo, when he was at Girona, was the hardest defender I’ve ever faced.
“I’ve never been one to complain. I believe that physical contact is part of football.”
Since then, the full-back has remained a key player for Mallorca, although he has developed a reputation for being one of La Liga’s more physical players, with Real Madrid columnist Kiyan Sobhani describing the 27-year-old as a “thug” last season.
However, Maffeo could be a bargain addition to Nuno’s squad at just £5m, and his experience coming up against the likes of Messi and Vinicus Jr in La Liga should stand the right-back in good stead to be a success at the City Ground.
