Nottingham Forest have submitted a £22million bid to sign Yoane Wissa from Brentford.
Forest’s proposal is significantly below Brentford’s valuation of the forward, whose current contract runs through to 2026 with the option of a further year.
Forest, who are also considering alternative options, retain their interest in signing the 28-year-old.
Signed from French side FC Lorient in August 2021, Wissa has scored 41 goals in 133 appearances for the west London club, adding nine assists.
The DR Congo forward, who can play on either flank or through the middle as a No 9, has scored 11 times in 19 Premier League games so far this term. Only Erling Haaland, Cole Palmer, Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak, Chris Wood and Brentford team-mate Bryan Mbeumo have more top-flight goals in 2024-25.
The French-born attacker began his career with LB Chatearoux before spells at Angers, Stade Lavallois and Ajaccio. He spent four seasons with Lorient, scoring 37 times in 128 games, before completing his move to Brentford before the club’s first season in the Premier League after winning promotion via the play-offs.
Forest are looking to bolster their options in attack for the second half of what has been an outstanding campaign to date.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are third in the table, six points behind leaders Liverpool, having won seven of their last eight Premier League outings.
They return to action away at Bournemouth on Saturday.
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‘Wissa would be an astute signing at a key stage of the season’
Analysis by Nottingham Forest correspondent Paul Taylor
Nottingham Forest have built the best squad they have had at the City Ground in many years. There is only one potential significant problem to void. If their top scorer, Chris Wood picks up any kind of serious injury, they would be left with only one experienced striker, in Taiwo Awoniyi.
The Nigeria international is himself struggling for match sharpness, largely because of his lack of game time. He has played only 229 minutes of football across two starts and 15 substitute appearances.
The delighted reaction of his team-mates when he scored his only goal of the campaign so far, at Wolves, underlines the fact that he is still a popular figure in the dressing room. But it would be a gamble for Forest to rely on only he and 14-goal Wood to provide their firepower, as they look to sustain their push for Champions League football.
Wissa is a player who can operate in numerous positions across the front line. He would not just serve as back up. He can also operate on the left side and would add another option in the three, within Nuno Espirito Santo’s favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.
He is a versatile, proven Premier League performer; somebody who could hit the ground running and provide immediate competition and cover in numerous positions.
The 28-year-old would be an astute signing at a key stage of the season.
(Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
