Forward heading to England
This article was updated on June 25 following confirmation of the transfer going through.
Nottingham Forest have completed the signing of Union Berlin striker Taiwo Awoniyi on a five-year deal, following the player completing a medical at the newly-promoted Premier League club and a fee being agreed between both clubs – should stand at around €20 million. Liverpool, who sold the striker to Union in 2021 for €6.5m are also set to earn 10 percent of the transfer fee.
As I understand it, Union Berlin striker Taiwo Awoniyi completed his medical at Nottingham Forest yesterday and should be announced later today.
Fee of around €20m, plus 10% kick back to Liverpool – as reported by @FabrizioRomano and others.
— Stefan Bienkowski (@SBienkowski) June 24, 2022
Forest have been heavily linked with a move for the Bundesliga talisman for some time now, with the young player’s profile rising considerably following an impressive season with the German side. In the 2021/22 season, Awoniyi bagged no less than 20 goals and five assists in 43 games and 15 in the German top flight – placing him sixth among his peers for goals scored. As a result, Awoniyi’s market value shot up from €4.5m when he joined Union up to where it now stands at €20m.
“I feel great,” Awoniyi said in an interview with Forest’s club website. “I feel very happy to be here. Looking at the project, it’s something I’m really looking forward to. What stood out about Forest were the meetings with the head coach and the discussions we had. I can see how ambitious and dedicated he is to his job. My dream is to always keep working and I see him as a person who I can develop under.
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“For me, it’s always about hard work, dedication and believing in God. When I look back at the games with Union Berlin, it was always about the team for me. When I look at Forest and look at the history of the club, it’s even more about the team. This is the kind of place I love to belong to and I am ready for it. Every striker wants to score goals, but I’m ready to work for the team, to fight for every ball, to win every challenge, that’s my style and that’s what I’m here for.”
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Awoniyi is certainly be a sign of intent from Forest, who make the move up to the Premier League in desperate need of reinforcements if they are to avoid going straight back down. Should the striker make the move for the proposed €20m price tag, he’ll become the tenth most expensive signing in the English top flight this summer. And it seems unlikely that he’ll be the club’s final foray into the transfer market.
If rumours are to be believed, the club are also hot on the heels of Mainz central defender Moussa Niakhaté, Manchester United back-up keeper Dean Henderson and Liverpool right-back Neco Williams. However, it remains to be seen whether Steve Cooper will get the recruits his team will almost certainly need ahead of the new season.
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