As per reports by the Record, Nottingham Forest are close to luring Benfica custodian, Bruno Varela, to the City Ground this summer. Nottingham Post have reported that the move is expected to take place next week. It has also been reported that he will cost £15million and apart from Nottingham Forest, Watford and Newcastle United are also believed to be his admirers.
The Tricky Trees already have Costel Pantilimon in their ranks and thus, the apparent interest to sign Varela raises a lot of eyebrows.
Pantilimon made a loan move from Watford in the January transfer window earlier this year and penned a three-year deal earlier this summer to seal a permanent move to Nottingham Forest. So, what exactly can Varela bring to the Championship outfit?
Who is Nottingham target Varela?
Varela spent his youth career with Ponte Frielas and Benfica and made quite an impact in the B side of the Portuguese outfit. After a loan spell with Valladolid and Vitoria Setubal, he agreed to make a return to Benfica and in 29 league appearances last season, he made 1.5 saves per game on an average and made 2 appearances in the Champions League as well.
He represented Portugal at the 2013 UEFA European Under-19 championship and the FIFA Under-20 World Cup the same year. In 2014, he featured in the Under-20 squad at the Toulon tournament.
He was the first choice for his country in the Rio Olympics and even received his first call to the Portuguese national side in March 2017 in the absence of Anthony Lopes who was ruled out by injury.
The 23-year-old has not only featured at a high level in club football, his international career is also going in the right direction. He has good reflexe, and is pretty experienced despite only being 23.
The East Midland outfit are spending big this summer in their attempt to end their Premier League exile of two decades. Aitor Karanka is looking like a manager with a purpose as he has already signed the likes of Joao Carvalho, Lewis Grabban and Tobias Figueiredo.
The competition for a place under the bar will be big if Karanka signs Varela and it will bring the best out of his goalkeepers.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
