Nottingham Forest are still interested in signing defender Cesar Montes this summer. Furthermore, Espanyol are seriously considering selling one of their star players.
It’s been claimed that Forest are very much interested in the player. He only signed for Espanyol from Mexican outfit Monterrey in January 2023 but is already attracting interest.
Montes has a contract with them until 2028 but a £27 million release clause is alerting clubs towards his availability.
Montes made 265 appearances for Monterrey. He became a cult hero with the Mexican outfit having risen through their youth ranks.
During his time at the club, he caught the eye of Barcelona boss Xavi. He came up against Montes in 2019 when Monterrey faced Al Sadd in a Club World Cup fixture.
The current Barca boss told Then 24: “He is a player with great ball output and he’s very powerful. He’s a great signing for Espanyol and for the league. He has a lot of potential.”
Interestingly, it’s not the first time that Forest have been linked with Montes, with Wolves previously keen on the player.
Forest still want Montes
Montes is on the back of a solid Gold Cup campaign with Mexico and now he’s a wanted man. The centre-back’s stock is rising considerably and Forest might need to move quickly on this one.
Forest do need a central defender this summer. Moussa Niakhate dislocated his elbow in the friendly defeat to Valencia and Felipe is also injured at the moment.
The Reds endured some seriously bad luck with injuries last season, particularly at centre-back. Next season, Steve Cooper will be hoping to enjoy a little more fortune on that front.
Forest clearly want more reliable players at centre-back next season. Montes is the latest to be linked and the fact that Espanyol are considering a sale definitely offers some degree of optimism.
