Success: Reds set to sign goalkeeper who makes more saves

Nottingham Forest are closing in on the signing of Fenerbahce goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, according to reports. The Reds are looking for another stopper to compete with Matt Turner who recently signed from Arsenal.

AS Marca claims that the deal is now drawing to a close. However, as the reports come from Turkey it’s worth taking them with a pinch of salt right now.

Bayindir does look like the sort of profile that Forest are looking for this summer. At 25-years-old, he’s a year younger than Dean Henderson and it looks as though the Reds are willing to let him head elsewhere now.

It’s believed that Forest will pay an initial fee of £6 million, with £2 million worth of add-ons included in the deal. The player was the Fenerbahce’s number one last season, making 40 appearances for the club in all competitions.

Naturally, the stopper will be compared to Henderson if he signs for Forest. It’s seemed as though the Manchester United man would end up at the City Ground all summer but that doesn’t look to be the case.

Some stats from Squawka show that Forest might be better off with Bayindir between the posts. They show that the Turkish performer made more saves and completed more long passes over the course of the 2022/23 campaign.

Forest closing in on signing of Bayindir

This looks like an intriguing signing. The player has been with Fenerbahce for four years and it does seem a little bit strange that they’re willing to offload him at such a good price.

Furthermore, Bayindir has made five appearances for his country. As a result, Forest would be getting themselves an international goalkeeper if they can get this one over the line.

Mesut Ozil raved about the goalkeeper in 2021. He called him ‘special’ after he’d made his debut for the Turkish giants and that proved high praise indeed.

Rumour rating: 7/10 – There is a lot to like about this one but we’ve gone for a seven as at this stage, the reports are coming from Turkey.

It’s always important to take these things with a pinch of salt. However, the fact it involves a Turkish player from a Turkish club, there’s unlikely to be smoke without fire.

Forest have had to move on from Henderson. Once again they’ve been messed about by Manchester United and this looks like a sensible alternative.