(Credit: Getty)

Oliver Walton

Fri 1 August 2025 10:00, UK

Nottingham Forest could be open to selling Ibrahim Sangare ahead of the new season if they are able to pull off a major coup and land Douglas Luiz on loan from Juventus.

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Nottingham Forest were massively impressive last season as they did the improbable and competed for Champions League football throughout the campaign before eventually finishing seventh in the Premier League.

Nuno Espirito Santo has had a busy summer at the helm so far regarding changes to his squad, with key winger Anthony Elanga leaving for Newcastle, while the Reds have moved to bring in the likes of Dan Ndoye from Bologna and Igor Jesus from Botafogo.

Forest moved to make a huge statement of intent recently as Morgan Gibbs-White penned a new contract despite looking set to join Spurs, and the East Midlands outfit are still trying to bolster their midfield options with former Aston Villa star Luiz a main target.

Football Insider revealed earlier this month that Brazilian midfielder Luiz is wanted by Man United and Everton, so Forest face strong competition for his signature, but they could be set to sanction a high-profile departure if he joins the club soon.

Nuno wants to add Luiz to his squad ahead of 2025/26 – Credit: Hasan Karim, Breaking Media

Italian journalist Matte Moretto (30 July) has claimed that Forest are pushing to sign Luiz from Juventus right now, with talks ongoing around a loan deal for the 27-year-old with an option to buy, which could potentially become an obligation under certain conditions.

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The Mail (31 July) have also reported that Luiz should not be ruled out as a potential signing for the Reds, as he is unwanted by the Serie A giants and is expected to return to the Premier League before the window closes.

Their report also states that Ivorian international midfielder Sangare could leave the City Ground soon “if the deal suits everyone” after his recent struggles with form and fitness, so his departure could well tie into Luiz’s arrival at the club.

Sangare voiced his frustrations at his lack of minutes for Forest last season, and the Tricky Trees have not seen the best of him since his £30million [The Athletic] move from PSV in 2023.

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Sangare was sidelined with a torn hamstring for four months in the middle of last season, and it is injury issues like those that have compounded his tough spell in the East Midlands since his big-money move two years ago.

The 27-year-old has made just 30 Premier League appearances since he joined the Reds, with only 20 starts in that time, and his lack of game-time has seen the likes of Elliot Anderson, Ryan Yates and Nico Dominguez all move ahead of him in the pecking order in Nuno’s midfield.

AppearancesStartsAssists34223Sangare’s Forest career stats

Forest have highly-rated defensive midfielder Marko Stamenic back among their ranks right now after a recent loan move, and he could potentially be kept on as an option under Nuno as the Tricky Trees enter the Europa League following Crystal Palace’s demotion.

If Luiz joins, then Sangare seems like the most obvious candidate for a City Ground exit due to his lack of recent impact and potential to garner a decent fee.

Foot Mercato reported in February that Sangare had turned down a loan switch to Ligue 1 side Rennes as he wanted to fight for his place at Forest, but he made just four starts from then until the end of the campaign, and Luiz’ potential arrival would surely make him more open to a departure in the next few weeks.

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