Nottingham Forest now "ready" to make £26m bid for "machine" Wolves target

Nottingham Forest are now “ready” to make an offer of around £26m for a “machine”, but there could be fierce competition for his signature, journalist Gianluigi Longari has revealed.

Forest keen on midfielder amid Gibbs-White uncertainty

Morgan Gibbs-White was poised to join Tottenham Hotspur, with Forest’s Premier League rivals triggering the £60m release clause in the attacking midfielder’s contract, but the move is now very much up in the air.

The Tricky Trees have reported Spurs to the Premier League, as they feel an illegal approach was made for Gibbs-White, and the 25-year-old returned to training on Monday, indicating that a move has now stalled.

The England international is set to remain at the City Ground until a resolution can be found, and there will, of course, be hope that the maestro decides to stay put, given that he has performed remarkably well ever since Forest returned to the Premier League.

However, Forest appear to be eager to bring in a new central midfielder regardless of whether Gibbs-White leaves this summer, and they are now “ready” to make a new offer of around €30m (£26m) for Palmeiras star Richard Rios.

That is according to Longari on X, who states the Tricky Trees are set to “push” for Rios’ signature, but there could be fierce competition, with Benfica also ready to enter the race, while AS Roma are closely monitoring the situation.

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Nottingham Forest register interest in race to sign “special” £25m winger

The Reds are looking to replace Anthony Elanga.

Not only that, but Wolverhampton Wanderers are also very keen on the midfielder, having recently submitted a £21m offer of their own, but the Tricky Trees now look ready to hijack the move with a larger bid.

“Machine” Rios ready to test himself in England

Despite predominantly featuring in a defensive midfield role, the Colombian has been a regular source of goals and assists for Palmeiras in all competitions during the 2025 campaign, collecting eight goal contributions in 35 appearances.

Football scout Ben Mattinson has also praised the Palmeiras maestro for his ability to drive the ball further up the pitch, describing him as a “ball-carrying machine”, while also providing an overview of his key strengths.

The central midfielder would not be a like-for-like replacement for Gibbs-White, given that the 25-year-old usually features in a deep-lying role, but having impressed in Brazil for quite some time, he could now be ready to test himself in England.

As such, Rios could be a good acquisition for Forest, and Europa League football being on offer at the City Ground should give them the edge over Wolves in the race for his signature.