Nottingham Forest reach full agreement to sign out-of-favour Manchester City goalkeeper | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest have agreed a deal to sign Manchester City fourth-choice goalkeeper Stefan Ortega Moreno in the final week of the January transfer window, as per reports.

Ortega Moreno was heavily linked with a departure from the Etihad Stadium after City brought back academy graduate James Trafford from Burnley in July 2025, with club bosses telling the 33-year-old he was could leave for the right price.

City signed Ortega Moreno from Arminia Bielefeld in the summer of 2022 and the Germany international has played a vital role in the success Pep Guardiola and co have enjoyed on the domestic, European and global fronts in recent seasons.

The Blues overhauled their goalkeeping department upon the appointment of Hugo Viana as director of football last summer, with Gianluigi Donnarumma replacing first-choice goalkeeper on the final day of the recent transfer window.

Trafford returned to his boyhood club to compete for the number one goalkeeper spot, with City also letting Scott Carson leave at the end of his contract and replacing the now retired 40-year-old with Marcus Bettinelli from Chelsea.

City have added Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi to their star-studded ranks in January as they vie for silverware on four fronts in the second half of a sliding doors campaign that has come in the backdrop of a host of senior stars leaving the club.

Executives at the Etihad Stadium are not expected to introduce further incomings before the February 2 transfer deadline, though City have agreed to let Ortega Moreno leave as Guardiola’s fourth-choice goalkeeper searches for regular playing opportunities ahead of this summer’s FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

As reported by Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Nottingham Forest have reached a total agreement with Manchester City for the permanent signing of Ortega Moreno.

Ortega Moreno will travel to the City Ground for a medical on Saturday, with the German set to put pen to paper on a five month deal until the end of the season.

Forest reached a verbal agreement with the goalkeeper’s representatives on Friday evening, with Ortega Moreno also due a fresh start after three-and-a-half seasons at the Etihad Stadium that have seen the shotstopper win a plethora of silverware.

The German will be fondly remembered by Manchester City fans for a monumental save from Heung-Min Son in a 2-0 win away at Tottenham on matchday 37 of the 2023-24 Premier League campaign en route to a historic fourth successive Premier League title.

Ortega Moreno’s upcoming exit will still leave Guardiola with arguably the strongest goalkeeping contingent in world football – comprising Donnarumma, Trafford and Bettinelli – as the Blues look to hunt down Premier League leaders Arsenal and win a fifth league title in six seasons.