Nottingham Forest have now made an approach to sign a “fast” £22m defender, with Sean Dyche replacing Ange Postecoglou in the City Ground hotseat.
Postecoglou’s awful stint as manager came to an end on Saturday, following a 3-0 home defeat against Chelsea, in which Forest once again struggled defensively, having also shipped three goals at home against FC Midtjylland at the beginning of the month.
Evangelos Marinakis perhaps has one eye on the January transfer window, given that the Tricky Trees are at risk of being drawn into a relegation battle, having taken just five points from their opening eight Premier League games.
With the City Ground outfit currently in the bottom three, it would perhaps make sense to bring in a manager with a proven track record of guiding teams to safety, and Dyche has just that from his time at Everton and Burnley.
Dyche has agreed to join Forest on the condition they give him a long-term deal. He is of course well-known for a more defensive style of play than Ange, which means the 54-year-old may be keen to bolster his options at the back in January, and a new centre-back has now emerged as the first target.
That is according to a report from Spain, which reveals Nottingham Forest have now accelerated contact over a move for CA Osasuna defender Enzo Boyomo, who has caught the eye with his spectacular performances for the La Liga side.
Boyomo has a €25m (£22m) release clause included in his contract with the Spanish club, and Osasuna would not consider a sale for any less, given his importance to the side, but there is certainly no shortage of interest from England.
Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion are also in the race, alongside the Tricky Trees, with the three Premier League clubs said to be in pole position for his signature.
“Fast” Boyomo could be solid addition to Forest’s backline
Forest are likely to be happy with their current centre-back options, given that Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo formed a formidable partnership in the Premier League last season, with the duo missing just three games between them and helping secure European qualification.
However, should the new manager be keen to bring in more depth, there are signs the 24-year-old could be a solid signing. When asked to describe his own game after arriving at Osasuna, the Cameroonian said: “I think I’m a calm center-back, with good ball control, and I think I’m also fast.”
Not only that, but the France-born defender is also strong at winning back possession, placing in the 88th percentile for tackles per 90 over the past year, when compared to other centre-backs.
At £22m, Boyomo would be an affordable signing for Forest, who are clearly in need of a fresh injection of quality after a very poor start to the campaign.
