Nottingham Forest have reportedly turned down an offer worth ‘over £17m’ from Serie A side Atalanta for defender Neco Williams. The Welshman, who has been a vital player for Forest since his arrival from Liverpool two summers ago, has made 68 appearances for the club and has proven himself as a consistent performer in the right-back position.
Nuno Espirito Santo, who took over as manager and has overseen 26 matches, has relied on Williams for 23 of those outings. With the departure of Gonzalo Montiel, Williams is set to take on an even more crucial role in the upcoming season for Forest.
However, Atalanta’s interest in the 23-year-old has stirred up some uncertainty at the club. Despite the Serie A champions recognizing Williams’ talents and making an offer higher than what Forest paid for him, the club has firmly rejected the bid, reiterating their stance of having ‘no intention’ to sell the defender.
The timing of Atalanta’s offer, just days before the start of the new season opener against Bournemouth at the City Ground, has added a layer of complexity to the situation. If accepted, it would have left Nuno scrambling to find a suitable replacement for Williams, as Ola Aina remains the only other option in that department.
The summer transfer window, which has been impacted by international tournaments and financial regulations, has been a challenging period for Forest and other clubs. Despite previous interest from other clubs earlier in the summer, Forest continues to stand firm in their decision to keep hold of Williams.
As the transfer saga continues, it remains to be seen whether Atalanta will return with an improved offer. However, one thing is certain – Nottingham Forest is determined to retain their prized defender as they look ahead to the upcoming season.
