Nottingham Forest have hit a surprise hurdle which has prevented them from securing the free signing of Iranian international striker Karim Ansarifard so far, according to journalist Alan Nixon.
The Sun reporter claims on his personal Twitter account that the Championship outfit should have sealed the 28-year-old’s signing by now if there was nothing wrong with their pursuit, but that something has “obviously” gone wrong for the deal not to have been completed as of yet.
Manager Aitor Karanka has already confirmed to the Nottingham Post that the club were chasing the signing of the 68 cap international, but it seems as though the club have been surprised by the difficulty in getting him over the line.
Good move for Forest?
The more and more that they are forced to wait for his capture, the less impact he will have and the longer it will take for him to get up to speed.
It certainly seemed like a smart move earlier in the season, when the club’s firepower was lacking, and it would be by no means a poor deal if it were to be completed now, but the gloss would certainly be taken off if it were to be.
Karanka might not have a decision to make, but he does need to figure out whether the hassle of pursuing his free transfer is worth it, or whether they can hold out until January when they can spend some money on a new striker and avoid spending cash on the Iranian’s wages.
This is Futbol rating: 6.5/10
Likely to happen?
The longer Forest are left waiting, the less likely this one seems to go through.
He will need a work permit to play in England and the smart money is that it is this stage where the hurdle has appeared.
If it was a simple issue, then it would have been sorted by now, but it has been over a month since the loan window closed and there is still no movement.
Forest fans should not hold their breath over this one.
This is Futbol rating: 3/10