Nottingham Forest Close in on Rico Lewis with £30m Bid as Man City Consider Sale

Nottingham Forest are pushing to sign Manchester City’s versatile defender Rico Lewis in a deal worth £30 million, with personal terms already discussed and the player reportedly open to the move for increased playing time, the 20-year-old, who can play as a right-back, left-back, or defensive midfielder, made 44 appearances for City last season but has fallen behind Matheus Nunes in Pep Guardiola’s pecking order, Forest, who recently secured James McAtee from City for £30m, are offering to double Lewis’s wages to lure him to the City Ground, with manager Nuno Espírito Santo eager to strengthen his squad ahead of their Premier League campaign.

While Manchester City initially rejected Forest’s €25m + €5m add-ons bid earlier this month, they are now open to selling Lewis if their £30m valuation is met, likely including a sell-on clause and buyback option similar to the McAtee deal. Lewis, a product of City’s academy, has attracted interest due to his tactical flexibility, and Forest view him as a key addition to address their defensive and midfield gaps. With City managing their homegrown quota and Lewis yet to agree to a new contract, a move could be finalized before the transfer window closes, pending further negotiations.

Sources: The Athletic, Daily Mail, OneFootball, SportsView