Summary Nottingham Forest are trying to sign a defender before the deadline closes tonight. One option resides in the EFL and would be a wonderful alternative to Trevoh Chalobah. The player has been described as a 'Rolls-Royce'.
An update has emerged on Nottingham Forest and their efforts to bolster Steve Cooper's defensive options before the summer transfer window slams shut tonight.
What's the latest Nottingham Forest transfer news?
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the club are preparing a bid to sign Norwich City centre-back Andrew Omobamidele this evening.
The reporter has said that they are eyeing up the Republic of Ireland international as Trevoh Chalobah is not accepting a switch to the City Ground from Stamford Bridge.
This comes after Sky Sports journalist Rob Dorsett claimed that the Tricky Trees enquired about a possible deal to sign the Chelsea central defender before the deadline passes.
The reporter has, however, added that there has not been any progress as of yet as the player would like to stay and fight for his place in Mauricio Pochettino's bloated Blues squad, which is backed up by Romano's Tweet.
How good is Andrew Omobamidele?
Forest can now land a dream alternative to the £50k-per-week defender by securing a deal to sign the Canaries starlet before the 11pm cutoff.
Omobamidele, whose former coach Kenny Molloy described him as a "Rolls Royce", is an excellent prospect who could be a superb addition to Steve Cooper's team and one for the future.
The 6 foot 3 titan only turned 21 in June and is three years younger than Chalobah, which means that he has more time on his side to grow and develop with more experience at the top level. This means that the Forest boss could work with him on the training ground to hone his skills over the years to come.
Omobamidele made 34 Championship appearances for Norwich during the 2022/23 campaign and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.82, whilst he also won 60% of his individual duels.
The talented youngster also showed glimpses of his quality in the top flight for the Canaries as he averaged a rating of 6.82 and won 59% of his battles on the ground over five games throughout the 2021/22 season.
On the other hand, Chalobah, who was hailed as "selfless" by former boss Frank Lampard, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.75 over 25 Premier League outings for Chelsea and came out on top in 57% of his contests last term.
This suggests that the potential is there for Omobamidele to offer more quality than the English brute if he is able to translate his small sample size of top-flight showings and his Championship performances over to a full season of Premier League football.
The Irish ace could offer more strength in individual duels to allow Forest to win the ball back more frequently whilst also delivering a higher average performance level at the back.
Felipe (6.99) was the only Tricky Trees centre-back who averaged a Sofascore rating higher than Omobamidele's score of 6.82 last season, which suggests that there is also the potential for him to make an immediate impact on the pitch if Cooper can get the best out of him.
Therefore, the Norwich gem could be an excellent addition to the squad in the short and long term, which is why he could be a dream alternative to Chalobah if they are able to get a deal over the line.