A Nottingham Forest player has been urged to make the move to Derby County this summer with his future hanging in the balance.
Changes are going to be needed at the City Ground over the coming weeks as Forest will be required to sell some players before 30 June.
Nuno Espirito Santo had a considerable job on his hands this season at Forest following the club’s four-point deduction due to their run-in with FFP.
And to avoid any further issues going into the new season, Nuno may be forced to part ways with some of his prized assets at the club.
However, there are several players leaving Forest following the conclusion of their contracts over the coming weeks.
This may also be the case for youngster Ateef Konate who will be spending the coming weeks looking for a new club after the news emerged of his contract coming to a conclusion.
Ateef Konate urged to make Championship move this summer
Having only made three appearances for the Forest first team since joining in 2020, Konate’s time at the City Ground is now coming to an end.
The 23-year-old has previously spent time out on loan during the 2022/23 campaign with Oxford United, but this season was spent playing in the Premier League 2.
And the Frenchman provided a solid return of six goals and two assists in the U21s league but was unable to earn himself a call-up to Nuno’s side.
According to AfricaFoot, Konate is now being eyed by a number of Championship clubs including Leeds United, Sunderland and Derby County.
Speaking to Football League World, pundit Carlton Palmer has urged the midfielder to make the step down to the Championship with Derby.
Ateef Konate, the 23-year-old Nottingham Forest midfield player has taken to social media to tell the supporters and staff thank you as he intends to move on from Nottingham Forest next season,” Palmer said.
“It’s not been the greatest move for Ateef. Since joining Forest, he’s failed to make a single appearance in the Premier League.
“Derby are having a complete re-shuffle with their playing squad. We’ve seen how Sunderland are with young players, but they’re yet to have a manager in place.
“Leeds United will be pushing for promotion next season, and they’re in need of a front player.
“Where would he fit in? I think Derby might be the ideal place for Ateef, it’s just down the road from Nottingham and Paul Warne works with young players and knows how to get the best out of them, so I think that would be a good move for him.”
A big summer awaits Nuno Espirito Santo and Nottingham Forest
Last summer, Forest’s decision to hold out for the best possible price on Brennan Johnson backfired as it landed them their points deduction.
This time around, Evangelos Marinakis will be much more aware of the dangers that can come from their run-in with the FFP regulations and he may, therefore, prove much more proactive before the June 30 deadline.
However, there will have to be a fine line between Forest selling to bring in the necessary funds and not selling too many players and hinder Nuno’s chances for next season.
The likes of Morgan Gibbs-White and Murillo are both players who could potentially find themselves on the move with interest coming from numerous clubs.
An interesting few months await Forest, but if they’ve learned anything from this season, some additions will be needed to avoid another close call in the battle to stay in the top flight.
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