Nottingham Forest are closing in on a double defensive swoop, including Liverpool’s Neco Williams and Bayern Munich’s Omar Richards.
According to John Percy, the newly-promoted Premier League outfit will soon complete the signings of the two highly-rated young defenders for a total fee of £25 million.
Liverpool will receive around £17m for Williams, while Bayern are about to pocket £8m for Richards, with the official announcements expected soon.
It took Forest over two decades to return to the Premier League, and their movements in the summer transfer market suggest they are here to stay.
After the acquisition of Moussa Niakhate from Mainz for approximately £8m, the Tricky Trees are now on the verge of pulling off another two massive coups.
The signing of Williams, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Fulham, is a statement of intent, proving they can lure some of the Premier League’s hottest prospects to the City Ground.
Widely considered one of Britain’s finest talents, the 21-year-old Wales international moved through the ranks at Anfield before making his senior debut in 2019.
However, he has never had a real opportunity to prove himself in the first team due to the always-present figure in the form of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
A lack of game time under Jurgen Klopp must have facilitated Williams’ decision-making process.
That, nonetheless, proves that Forest still boast a household reputation in England, regardless of their long-term struggle in lower-league football.
Williams should fill the void left by Djed Spence’s return to Middlesbrough following a stellar loan spell at the City Ground last season.
As for Richards, he joined Bayern from Reading in 2021 but has never established himself as a permanent first-team fixture at the Allianz Arena.
Extreme competition for places in Bavaria has hindered his development, as he has often been forced to play understudy to either Lucas Hernandez or Alphonso Davies at the left-back.
A year after departing England to try his luck in the Bundesliga, the 21-year-old is coming back to pick up where he left off.
