SAD NEWS: Nottingham Forest  key player is in trouble

Gonzalo Montiel has fallen out of favour since leaving Forest – but he could be on his way back to the City Ground

Nottingham Forest are reportedly close to re-signing defender Gonzalo Montiel.

The defender exited Forest at the end of last season due to the expiration of his loan deal from La Liga side Sevilla – he played 14 Premier League games for Forest but never really found form at the City Ground. However, news has emerged that will be a surprise to Reds’ supporters – the Argentine may be on his way back.

According to reports from journalist Fernando Serrano, Forest are close to re-signing the right-back on a permanent basis with the club said to value the player at around £7m – a price they are seemingly willing to pay to secure his signature. It is unclear how often Montiel would feature with Neco Williams Nuno Espirito Santo’s first choice with summer signing Eric da Silva Moreira also keen to impress.

Despite failing to nail down a place in his club career, it must be noted Montiel is a key figure in Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina side – he made six appearances in the South American’s Copa America triumph in July. Arguably his crowning moment came in the FIFA World Cup 2022 Final when he slotted the winning penalty against France becoming a hero for Argentinians in the process.

The Reds got their League campaign underway with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Bournemouth last Saturday – Nuno selected Williams as his right-back. Despite hoping for a better opening result, the Portuguese manager cut a positive figure after the draw. He said: “We are not down. We are aware that we have been working very hard since day one after six weeks of preparation, which has given me satisfaction. Let’s move forward.”