Nottingham Forest didn’t mess about. While Juventus dithered with lowball bids, Oliver Glasner’s side stepped up with the biggest offer on the table for Jhon Lucumi. Now two Premier League heavyweights want in — and Forest’s timing could be everything.
Forest Made Their Move First
Say what you want about this Forest window, but they haven’t been shy. While everyone else was posturing, Nottingham Forest put a real number in front of Bologna for Jhon Lucumi: €20 million plus €5 million in add-ons. That’s not a feeler bid. That’s a statement.
It’s also, right now, the strongest offer anyone has actually put on the table for the Colombian centre-back — bigger than either of Juventus’s two rejected proposals. Forest have done the hard part. The question now is whether it’s enough to get the deal over the line before Manchester United or Chelsea muscle in.
The Problem: Lucumi’s Head Has Been Turned
Here’s the uncomfortable part for Forest fans. Reports out of Italy suggest Lucumi is only interested in what’s being described as “big clubs” — and with Manchester United now reportedly making a move for his signature, and Chelsea also making contact, Forest’s excellent bid suddenly has serious competition for the player’s heart, not just his signature.
Chelsea’s need is real: they’ve already lost Trevoh Chalobah to Como, and Benoit Badiashile could be on his way to Napoli too, leaving them short at the back. Bologna are said to want €25 million plus €3 million in bonuses to even engage with the Blues.
United, meanwhile, offer Lucumi the one thing Forest currently can’t: Champions League football. With Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez both carrying injury doubts, a ready-made Serie A defender like Lucumi would strengthen Michael Carrick’s options immediately.
Why Forest Shouldn’t Give Up
Don’t write this one off yet. The reporting is clear that Lucumi won’t wait around for Juventus forever, and crucially, he wouldn’t turn down a good opportunity in England. Forest have three things going for them that matter here: they’ve already shown Bologna they’re serious with hard cash, they move fast, and unlike a slow-moving Juventus stand-off, Forest’s offer is live right now while the Italians dither.
Bologna, for their part, have already knocked back two Juventus bids and had a bigger offer from Como that would have satisfied them — Lucumi himself held out for Juve to come back in. That indecision from Turin is exactly the kind of opening a club like Forest can exploit if they move decisively.
The Bottom Line for Forest Fans
At 28, Lucumi is the finished article — a Champions League and Europa League veteran with silverware already on his CV, and by most accounts one of the most dependable defenders in Serie A. Landing him would be a genuine coup for Forest’s back line.
But make no mistake: this has turned into a fight. Forest have the early advantage and the biggest bid on record, but with Manchester United and Chelsea circling and Lucumi’s ambitions firmly set on Europe’s bigger stages, Forest may need to move fast — and possibly sweeten the deal — to turn their interest into a signature.
