Nottingham Forest working on a deal to sign Napoli star with talks opened
By Emilio Galantini
Forest take mighty survival stride after Sunderland rout
If there was a moment when Forest’s survival bid truly turned the corner, Friday night at the Stadium of Light felt very much like it.
Four goals inside the first half, a clean sheet, and a final scoreline of 5-0 that moved Vitor Pereira’s side eight points clear of the relegation zone — a result Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp simply called “the result of the season.”
Trai Hume’s 17th-minute own goal, deflected in from Igor Jesus’ header, sparked the rout, with Chris Wood, Morgan Gibbs-White and Jesus himself adding three more before the interval.
It was the first time Forest had ever scored four goals in the opening half of an away Premier League game.
Elliot Anderson, who will be subject to a ‘very important’ bid from Man City (Fabrizio Romano), completed the scoring deep in stoppage time to make it five — a statement of intent from a team that spent much of this campaign in genuine peril.
Forest first identified the 28-year-old during the January transfer window but were unable to push the move over the line at that stage.
A second approach followed, with Sport Witness reporting in late March that the club were still actively pursuing the player. That interest has not cooled, and they remain working on a deal for Olivera.
Olivera has made 23 Serie A appearances for Napoli this season, starting over half of them and accumulating 1,292 minutes — a respectable contribution from a squad player in Antonio Conte’s system, where competition for places is fierce.
He is equally capable at left-back and in a back three as a left-sided centre-back, giving Pereira tactical flexibility that would complement Forest’s defensive setup.
The fee Napoli would accept is not yet known, but his contract runs until 2030, giving the Italian club no pressing incentive to sell cheaply.
The complicating factor is the World Cup.
Olivera is expected to be named in Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay squad for the tournament, which begins in June, and sources indicate he will take time to assess all of his options before committing to a decision.
Forest have made enough progress in talks to remain genuine contenders for his signature, and the prospect of Champions League football, should they defeat Aston Villa across two legs in the Europa League semi-final and win the trophy, could prove decisive in tipping the balance.
