Nottingham Forest’s pursuit of one of their biggest defensive targets this summer appears to have suffered a significant setback after Feyenoord defender Givairo Read admitted he now expects to remain in the Netherlands for the upcoming season.
The 20-year-old full-back has been heavily linked with a move to the City Ground throughout the transfer window, with Forest identifying him as one of the club’s priority targets as Oliver Glasner continues reshaping his squad ahead of the new Premier League campaign.
Forest have been searching for reinforcements in several key positions this summer, and strengthening the right side of the defence has remained high on the club’s agenda. Read’s impressive rise at Feyenoord made him an attractive option, with his performances in the Eredivisie and growing European experience catching the attention of clubs across the continent.
While Nottingham Forest have continued to monitor his situation closely, Serie A giants Roma also emerged as serious contenders for his signature. However, negotiations between the Italian club and Feyenoord reportedly broke down earlier this week, briefly raising hopes that Forest could gain the upper hand in the race.
Those hopes have now been dealt a serious blow.
Speaking publicly about his future, Read admitted that while a transfer remained a possibility earlier in the window, he now believes staying at Feyenoord is the most likely outcome.
The Dutch defender explained that he never felt under pressure to leave the club, stressing that he remains happy in Rotterdam and fully committed if no transfer materialises.
Reflecting on the collapse of the proposed move to Italy, Read insisted he was not frustrated by how events unfolded.
Instead, he described the situation as one that could have gone either way and made it clear that remaining with Feyenoord was never something he viewed negatively.
The talented defender also revealed that playing Champions League football next season remains a major factor in his thinking.
With Feyenoord preparing to compete on Europe’s biggest stage once again, Read believes another season at the club could provide valuable experience while allowing him to continue his development before considering another move in the future.
Although he stopped short of completely ruling out a late transfer before the deadline, his latest comments strongly suggest that any departure has become increasingly unlikely.
According to the youngster, everything currently points towards spending another season in Rotterdam.
Read also spoke about how he has handled constant transfer speculation during the summer, admitting he has relied on conversations with family members and his representatives to remain focused.
He explained that those closest to him have helped keep him grounded throughout the transfer window, while adding that staying calm has come naturally despite the growing interest from clubs across Europe.
For Nottingham Forest, Read’s comments represent another frustrating obstacle during a transfer window in which the club has worked hard to strengthen Glasner’s options.
The Reds have remained active in the market but understand that convincing highly-rated young players to leave clubs competing in European competitions is never straightforward.
While Forest could still explore the possibility of testing Feyenoord’s resolve before the transfer deadline, Read’s own words suggest the defender is increasingly comfortable with postponing any move until a later stage in his career.
His combination of age, technical quality and defensive maturity means interest is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
Whether Nottingham Forest decide to continue pursuing the Dutch defender or shift their attention toward alternative targets remains to be seen.
For now, however, Forest’s hopes of bringing one of their top defensive priorities to the Premier League appear to have taken a significant hit after Read openly admitted that staying at Feyenoord now looks like the most likely outcome.
