Football
Exclusive: Jota Silva Set for Saudi Switch After Falling Out of Nottingham Forest’s Europa Squad
Nottingham Forest rejected Jota Silva is wanted by Saudi Pro League clubs as he looks set to move away from City Ground. The Portuguese winger's future is uncertain after being left out of the Europa League squad. Potential deal with interest from clubs as transfer window closes.
Nottingham Forest v ACF Fiorentina - Pre-Season Friendly by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA | Getty Images
Nottingham Forest are trying to offload Jota Silva to a Saudi Pro League club before their transfer window shuts next week, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.
The Portuguese international winger was due to sign for Sporting CP on a season-long deal with the option to buy at the end of the season.
But the deal fell through towards the end of the English transfer window and Silva’s career is now in limbo after Forest left him out of Forest’s Europa League squad this week.
Silva was one of a number of surprise omissions from Forest’s squad as they look to embrace their first European action since the 1995-96 season.
Forest secured an impressive seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season, but only qualified for Europe after Crystal Palace were demoted to the Conference League due to multi-club ownership rules.
Arsenal loan signing Oleksandr Zinchenko and the club’s record signing, Omari Hutchinson, were also high-profiles omissions from manager Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad.
The Saudi Pro League transfer window shuts on Tuesday 23rd September, with a number of high-profile Premier League players weighing up a move to guarantee regular football.
POTENTIAL DEAL
And our sources have learnt Silva is now mulling over a potential deal with a couple of clubs interested in signature.
The 26-year-old, who only joined Forest on a four-year deal in August last year, has plenty of the cards snacked in his favour with three years left on his contract.
He played 31 times in the Premier League in his first season for the club, scoring three times.
However, this season he has played just once and is deemed surplus to requirements given a healthy summer recruitment drive by the club as they look to build on last season’s success.
Silva has previously been linked with a move to fellow Premier League side Leeds United, but no deal ever materialised.
But Saudi club Neom SC are believed to be interest in signing Silva, with the player solely-focused on playing games this season.
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.