Nottingham Forest Set to Smash Transfer Record With €40M Move for Dan Ndoye

Nottingham Forest are closing in on what looks set to be a club-record signing, with Bologna winger Dan Ndoye expected to complete a £35 million move in the coming days. The 24-year-old Swiss international is scheduled to fly to England within the next 24 hours to undergo his medical, with personal terms not seen as a hurdle.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has reported that Forest will pay €40 million plus add-ons for Ndoye, who is being lined up to replace Anthony Elanga after the Swede’s £52m switch to Newcastle United earlier this summer. Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has been determined to land a statement signing to boost Nuno Espirito Santo’s attack, especially with the club preparing for their first European campaign in three decades. 

Forest’s interest in Ndoye first surfaced in mid-July, and negotiations picked up pace once Napoli pulled out of the race, unwilling to meet Bologna’s price tag. That left Forest in pole position, with Ndoye making clear he preferred a move to the Premier League. The winger had an impressive season in Italy, scoring nine goals and providing six assists in 41 matches for Bologna. Among those strikes was the match-winning goal in the Coppa Italia final against AC Milan — a moment that underlined his ability to deliver on big occasions. Since joining from Basel in 2023, Ndoye has racked up 71 appearances for Bologna, contributing 11 goals overall. 

While Ndoye is the headline arrival, Forest are not stopping there. They are also pushing to bring in Adama Traore from Fulham. Nuno knows the Spaniard well from their time together at Wolves, and his explosive pace could be the perfect weapon in Forest’s wide system. Traore, now 29, has also played for Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, and though he offers a slightly different profile to Elanga, his raw speed could bring the same kind of unpredictability in the final third. 

Forest had also shown interest in Johan Bakayoko before he completed a move from PSV Eindhoven to RB Leipzig, but their focus is now firmly on Ndoye and Traore to strengthen the flanks. Wide players are central to Nuno’s style, and adding both would give the Portuguese coach real depth in those positions ahead of a demanding season. 

If the deal goes through as expected, Ndoye would become Forest’s third signing of the window, after the arrivals of Brazilian duo Igor Jesus and Jair Cunha from Botafogo. They also secured a big boost when star man Morgan Gibbs-White committed his future to the club by signing a new contract until 2028, despite heavy interest from Tottenham. With Ndoye on the verge of joining, Forest’s squad is beginning to take shape for a season that promises to be one of the most exciting in their recent history.