Nottingham Forest have five days to trigger €28m Jhon Lucumi clause, or wait to negotiate | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest have five days to activate the €28m release clause in Jhon Lucumi’s Bologna contract, which expires on July 15.

Forest, Internazionale and Juventus have been linked with the 28-year-old centre back in recent weeks. According to Tutto Sport, Juventus have explored a cash-plus-players package that falls short of €28m, and the report also notes Forest’s good relationship with Bologna after Dan Ndoye’s move to the City Ground last summer.

If the clause lapses on July 15, any buyer would need to negotiate with Bologna, whose leverage is limited by Lucumi entering the final year of his deal.

Lucumi, born in Cali, moved to Belgium in 2018. He made 137 appearances for Genk, winning the Belgian Cup, before joining Bologna and later lifting the Italian Cup.

He featured in all five of Colombia’s World Cup matches, before a penalty-shootout defeat to Ndoye’s Switzerland.

Forest currently have Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic as first-choice centre backs, with Morato, Jair Cunha, Zach Abbott and Tyler Bindon at differing stages of readiness.

If Oliver Glasner opts for a back three, as at Crystal Palace, it would be a surprise to see Morato or Jair installed as regulars, and a specialist addition would be less surprising.

Lucumi has recently played in a back four for club and country, yet with one year left on his contract he could still represent value. The risk for Forest is waiting for the clause to lapse then negotiate, while a rival could pay €28m before July 15.

Source: Nottingham Post