Nottingham Forest are ready to consider the permanent sale of defender Nicolo Savona during the summer transfer window, sources have told Football Insider.
The 23-year-old full-back could be set for a swift return to his homeland of Italy just twelve months after arriving at the City Ground from Juventus.
Club executives have placed a realistic £13 million valuation on the right-sided defender, mirroring the exact baseline fee they paid to sign him last summer.
Manager Vitor Pereira is actively reshaping his first-team squad ahead of the new campaign and is willing to sanction the defender’s departure to generate funds.
Italian heavyweights Atalanta and AS Roma have both emerged as the primary possible destinations for the full-back, having registered concrete interest in recent days.
Atalanta are leading the chase as sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli remains a massive admirer of Savona from their previous shared time together at Juventus.
The Bergamo-based club view the Nottingham Forest man as an ideal replacement for Marco Palestra, who is widely expected to leave Serie A this summer.
Direct negotiations have already commenced between the clubs, and preliminary contract talks have taken place with the player’s representatives over a move.
However, recruitment staff at Atalanta are understood to hold mild lingering reservations regarding the precise medical state of the player’s knee joint.
Savona made 20 competitive appearances in all competitions for the Garibaldi last season before his campaign was cut short by a long-term injury setback.
The severe knee injury suffered during the second half of the season required intensive rehabilitation and prevented him from feature in the final months.
AS Roma are also heavily monitoring the unfolding situation as they aggressively search for dynamic, low-cost defensive reinforcements for their squad layout.
The capital city club must balance their strict financial books before the end of June, making Savona a highly attractive option at his current valuation.
Roma executives view the Nottingham Forest defender as a far more achievable and economically viable target than alternative option Davide Zappacosta.
For Nottingham Forest, recouping the full €13 million fee would represent a sensible piece of business given the player’s recent mixed fitness record.
The East Midlands club are under pressure to manage their own financial parameters efficiently to comply with the Premier League’s ongoing spending regulations.
Savona is not the only high-profile player expected to head through the exit door at the City Ground as Pereira trims the fat from his playing group.
Striker Arnaud Kalimuendo is another name heavily linked with a departure, though his exact price tag remains a significant stumbling block for suitors.
Eintracht Frankfurt are eager to seal a permanent deal for the French forward following his recent six-month loan spell in the German Bundesliga.
The initial loan contract included a fixed purchase option worth £23 million, a figure that Frankfurt now deem far too expensive for their current budget.
The German side are attempting to negotiate the final fee down toward £17 million, though Forest are reluctant to lose a massive amount on the forward.
Forest originally paid a premium £26 million to secure Kalimuendo from Rennes and do not want to take a heavy financial loss on the asset.
The funds generated from the potential sales of Savona and Kalimuendo will be directly reinvested into transforming the team’s central midfield department.
The club tried desperately to land a marquee midfield signing during the January window but ultimately failed to get any definitive deals over the line.
Celtic star Arne Engels remains the absolute priority target for Pereira, who remains determined to land the highly-rated 22-year-old Belgian international.
Forest had multiple substantial bids knocked back by the Scottish champions in the winter, including a final deadline-day package worth roughly £25 million.
They will face severe competition for his signature this time around, with both Fulham and Sunderland now entering the race for the midfielder.
West Ham United have also made initial enquiries, meaning Forest must move quickly and clear space on their wage bill to mount a successful pursuit.
The club’s hierarchy understands that adding proven quality to the spine of the team is essential if they are to avoid another grueling relegation battle.
Offloading fringe players like Savona early in the window provides the recruitment team with the necessary agility to strike deals for primary targets.
Savona himself is said to be highly open to a return to Italy, recognizing that the tactical nature of Serie A suits his defensive style perfectly.
A move to either Atalanta or Roma would also offer him a direct route back into European continental competitions, a massive pull for the young defender.
The coming weeks will prove completely decisive for Savona’s career path as he undergoes final physical tests to prove his fitness to interested buyers.
Forest are eager to accelerate the formal bidding process to ensure the transfer is officially wrapped up before the squad flies out for pre-season training.
Supporters can expect a high volume of transfer activity both incoming and outgoing as Evangelos Marinakis backs his manager to build a competitive squad.
With the summer window now officially open for business, the proposed sale of Savona looks set to kickstart a major period of transition at Nottingham Forest.
