Nottingham Forest to beat Premier League clubs to striker and make 17th signing

Nottingham Forest are set to continue their remarkable summer spending spree with the signing of Hwang Ui-Jo, as per Fabrizio Romano.

The Italian journalist believes that there is a €5m (£4.21m) deal between Forest and Girondins de Bordeaux, who were relegated last summer. Once the deal is complete, Ui-Jo would be loaned to Olympiakos for a season.

Ui-Jo scored 11 goals in 32 appearances for a poor Bordeaux side last season and has attracted interest in both Ligue 1 and the Premier League. Last month the striker himself confirmed in an interview that West Ham had made a bid for him, but it appears negotiations never got beyond that stage.

As if Forest’s spending had not raised enough eyebrows this summer, the fact they might add to their £133m spend so far in order to merely loan a player out may raise further questions. It seems Forest are looking for market opportunities even if they will not improve their side, perhaps with a view to selling them on if they do well.