Romano: Nottingham Forest Offer €25 Million for Roger Ibañez

The timing seems a bit coincidental, no? Hours after being rebuffed by Santos FC in their pursuit of 20-year-old striker Marcos Leonardo due to a perceived lowball offer, the press finally has Roma on the receiving end of a transfer rumor. With the club's other big-money target Tammy Abraham nursing torn ACL, many fans wondered went the offers for Roger Ibañez would start rolling in.

Well, wonder no more:

According to Fabrizio Romano, Nottingham Forest, who barely escaped relegation last season, have lodged a €25 million bid for Roger Ibañez. While the story, such as it is, amounts to little more than a Tweet, Romano indicates that negotiations are underway.

As a starting bid, €25 million isn't terrible. Still, if Roma GM Tiago Pinto plays his cards right, he should be able to squeeze another eight to ten million out of Forest, particularly if other Premiership clubs join the fray.

Ibañez, 24, joined the Giallorossi in 2020 from Atalanta and debuted in June, once the league resumed play after the initial pandemic shutdown. Ibañez is as athletic as the day is long but has never quite managed to pull it all together, delighting and frustrating fans in equal measure.

However, he's still young enough to capitalize on his enormous potential, and with a contract that doesn't expire until 2025, Roma should be able to make a tidy profit on Ibañez if it comes to that.