Nottingham Forest have seen an initial attempt to open talks with Torino over Alieu Njie rejected by the Italian club.
Tuttosport report that the market is heating up around the 21-year-old at this moment in time. And that includes initial overtures from Nottingham Forest.
Nottingham Forest effort rejected
The newspaper explains that Alieu Njie’s ‘exceptional talent’ has sparked interest around Europe, particularly in the Premier League.
Torino, at this moment in time, aren’t keen on negotiations. And so initial attempts from potential suitors have been rejected outright.
Nottingham Forest are one of the sides who have been ‘immediately rebuffed’. Owner Evangelos Marinakis is keen on the winger, either for Nottingham Forest or Rio Ave.
Both club came forward and attempted to propose a ‘complex deal’ with Torino. Nottingham Forest’s offer was a three-way deal. Forest would have signed Njie and then sent him on loan to Portugal to play regularly in a league they think is perfect for his development.
But it’s not going to happen. Torino owner Urbano Cairo ‘immediately nipped’ any possible negotiations with Nottingham Forest in the bud. He reiterated that the Swedish talent is not for sale this summer.
€15m or more required
That decision is not likely to change in the coming weeks. That’s unless ‘truly substantial’ offers arrive, amounting to at least €15m.
Whether Nottingham Forest want to pay such a price, remains to be seen. Given that Alieu Njie is currently valued at €3m by the likes of Transfermarkt, they’d have to pay five times his current valuation just to get Torino around the table.
That’s a big jump, especially for a player who they don’t see immediately strengthening Vitor Pereira’s side next season. But they are interested in the young winger and have made that clear to Torino.
Whether they can convince them into a sale below their €15m asking price, remains to be seen. Their initial efforts have already been nipped in the bud quickly.
