Nottingham Forest-linked Armando González is on the verge of joining Olympiacos, with Chivas now accepting a deal for the striker.
Everything points towards González joining Evangelos Marinakis’ club and starting his European career in Greece.
Mexican newspaper El Universal reports Chivas and Olympiacos have reached a full agreement after several rounds of negotiations.
Agreement reached – medical now all that’s left
The Greek club will pay €10.3m (£8.9m) for 80% of Armando González’s rights. Chivas retain the remaining 20%, giving them a significant interest in any future transfer.
According to the newspaper, González now only needs to undergo and pass his medical.
El Heraldo de México also has the transfer as agreed. Their figures differ slightly, putting the deal at €8.6m (£7.4m) plus €1.7m (£1.5m) in bonuses. They likewise say Chivas will retain 20%.
The Mexican club had wanted around €12.9m (£11.1m), but González’s desire to move to Europe helped get the deal over the line.
El Universal says the agreement will make this the biggest Chivas sale to a European club. Javier Hernández’s move to Manchester United had previously held that record.
Nottingham Forest absent from latest reports
What’s perhaps most notable for Nottingham Forest is that neither Mexican report mentions them as part of the transfer.
Earlier claims had the Premier League side following Armando González while Olympiacos negotiated with Chivas. There is no suggestion on Thursday that Forest are immediately waiting for the striker or that Greece is simply a stop on his way to England.
González does, however, now appear set to enter the Marinakis network. We’ve already seen how quickly that can become relevant this summer. Gustavo Sá left Famalicão for Olympiacos before subsequently making the move to Nottingham Forest.
There’s nothing to suggest González will follow that exact route. For now, Olympiacos are signing him for themselves.
Nevertheless, Forest’s previous interest becomes worth remembering if González impresses in Greece. He is now apparently about to become much easier for them to keep close tabs on.
