EXCLUSIVE: Nottingham Forest open talks with Aston Villa to sign highly-rated Dutch left-back as Reds eye seconds summer signing

Nottingham Forest have opened talks with Aston Villa to sign Lamare Bogarde on a permanent deal, sources have told Football Insider.

As exclusively revealed by Football Insider on 3 May, Villa had initially planned to send Bogarde, 20, on loan to a club in the Netherlands next season. However, the club could now agree a permanent transfer for the player as Forest negotiate a proposed £4m deal.

Left-back Bogarde, signed by Aston Villa in 2020 from Feyenoord, spent two separate loan spells with Bristol Rovers in League One between 2023 and 2024, totalling 35 appearances.

The Forest target has made just one senior appearance for his current club, back in 2021 at the age of 16 when a youthful Villa side took on Liverpool in the FA Cup.

Nottingham Forest are looking to get business completed early in the transfer window, with Bogarde coming in as a young player ready to step into a Premier League first-team environment.

The Netherlands Under-20 international is adept in both defence and midfield, and the plan had been for him to be sent back to the Eredivisie to continue gaining experience, with AZ Alkmaar reported by Football Insider [9th May] to be leading the race.

Bogarde is now expected to make the move to the City Ground instead of a loan return to his homeland.

Aston Villa are keen to sell fringe players to meet PSR criteria this month, with Football Insider exclusively revealing on 21 June that the club had already sold midfielder Tim Iroegbunam to Everton in a deal worth up to £10m.

With Nottingham Forest losing loanee full-backs Nuno Tavares and Gonzalo Montiel this summer, boss Nuno is seeking reinforcements.