NOTTINGHAM FOREST are hoping to push through a deal for Chris Wood in the next 24 hours, in order to enable them to select the Newcastle United striker in their squad for Saturday’s game with Bournemouth.
Forest officials have held a series of talks over Wood in the last few days, and are close to completing a deal that will see the 31-year-old move to the City Ground.
It is anticipated that the New Zealander will initially join Forest on a loan basis to the end of the season, with a view to a permanent transfer in the summer.
Newcastle shelled out £25m to sign Wood from Burnley last January, but there is an acceptance amongst the club’s recruitment team that they will not be able to recoup their initial outlay.
Eddie Howe is willing to allow Wood to move on now Alexander Isak has returned to the first-team squad and proved his fitness, with the Sweden international set to challenge Callum Wilson for a place in the Magpies’ starting side in the second half of the season.
Wood has only started four league games this term, and while he has proved a valuable squad member since moving from Turf Moor, he is keen to play as much football as possible as his career enters its twilight phase.
He is understood to have expressed a willingness to move to Forest, who currently sit in 13th position in the Premier League table, five points clear of the relegation zone. He would not be able to play in Forest’s Carabao Cup semi-final with Manchester United as he has already played for Newcastle in this season’s competition.
Ideally, Forest boss Steve Cooper would like to have the deal completed before lunchtime tomorrow as that would make Wood eligible to face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
Cooper has opted to move for Wood as Forest have lost Taiwo Awoniyi to an injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for two months, and he does not appear to have any faith in either Emmanuel Dennis or Sam Surridge, who have been bit-part players so far this season.
Newcastle have stepped up their own interest in right-back target Ivan Fresneda, although Real Valladolid chiefs are adamant they have not received a formal offer for the teenager, who has also been strongly linked with Arsenal.
Magpies head of recruitment, Steve Nickson, is known to have watched Fresneda in person as Valladolid lost to Real Madrid at the end of last month, and the 18-year-old’s representatives have been in England in the last week discussing their client’s future.
The Valladolid hierarchy have accepted they are unlikely to be able to hold on to Fresneda this month, and the youngster fits the mould of Newcastle’s recruitment template which is seeing them target some of the best young talent from around the world in the hope of being able to nurture and develop them within their first-team set-up.
However, Valladolid director, David Espinar, maintains there has been no formal approach from the Magpies, or any other interested party. “No firm offer has arrived for Fresneda,” said Espinar.
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