Nottingham Forest are close to signing giant Greek midfielder Panagiotis Tachtsidis, according to the Nottingham Post.
The newspaper claim the Championship big hitters are set to land the 6ft 4in left footer in time for the their next league match against Sheffield Wednesday on 15 September.
The Nottingham Post claim Tachtsidis is available on a free transfer after severing his ties with Greek outfit Olympiakos.
Good move for Forest?
Yes, especially on a free. Some might point out the Greek players who have failed to make any impact at the City Ground in recent years – Rafik Djebbour, Djamel Abdoun, Apostolos Vellios, Stefanos Kapino and Andreas Bouchalakis made little or no impact before moving on. But Tachtsidis is a player of higher quality than his countrymen and possesses extensive experience in Serie A and the Champions League, as well as 25 Greece caps. The 27-year-old would offer something different to Forest through his giant frame, athleticism and driving box-to-box midfield play. The big-spending club are not short of central midfield options, but Tachtsidis has the pedigree to do what his fellow Greeks could not.
This Is Futbol rating 7/10
Likely to happen?
Given the reliability of the Post and how strongly they have stated the deal is all but done, expect Tachtsidis to be confirmed as a Forest player, and the club’s 15th summer signing, by the end of next week at the latest. The fact he is available on a free after cancelling his contract with Olympiakos, which had been due to run until the summer of 2020, makes the deal easier to complete.
This Is Futbol rating 9/10