This comes from the Belgian outlet GVA.

So, what do we know about Forest and their interest in Keita? Let’s take a closer look…

 

Nottingham Forest want Mandela Keita

Well, it would appear as though the 21-year-old is going to be a wanted man before the transfer window closes.

The defensive midfielder is fancied by several Premier League clubs, with West Ham also named in the article by GVA.

Keita signed for Royal Antwerp in the summer, initially on loan, although the Belgian club have agreed to buy him for £7 million.

It’s claimed in the article that the Jupiler Pro League outfit would like to recoup double that amount if they were to cash in on his services.

Keita has made 21 appearances for Antwerp this season, leading them to a famous win over Barcelona in the Champions League.

Keita on shortlist of Nuno Espirito Santo

Forest will go in search of some new players this month, although it’s likely that others will have to leave first.

Orel Mangala has been linked with Napoli so naturally, the comparisons between him and Mangala will be relevant to Forest fans.

It would appear that replacing Mangala with Keita wouldn’t really be a bad thing – looking at the statistics.

Keita has completed over 90% of the passes he’s made this season, which is better than the 88% that Mangala possesses, according to FBRef.

The youngster also wins more tackles and if Forest can get around £30 million for Mangala and sign Keita for less than half, that has to be considered good business.

Rumour rating: 8/10 – This is exactly the sort of signing that Forest should look to be making.

With the finances under scrutiny, it’s now the time for Forest to garner a savvy mantra in the transfer market.

Selling players and replacing them with quality is a must for a club like Forest and landing Keita would provide some excitement to the fan base.