Nottingham Forest ‘Tested The Waters’ Over 11-Goal Striker On Aston Villa’s Radar | OneFootball

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Nottingham Forest have ‘tested the waters’ on a possible deal for Bologna striker Santiago Castro this summer, who is being monitored by Aston Villa.

Castro arrived at Italian outfit Bologna from Argentine side Velez Sarsfield in 2024 and, under his current contract, is tied down to the club until 2030.

The 21-year-old striker scored seven goals and provided three assists in 35 appearances in Serie A this season for Bologna, while he also struck in the Coppa Italia and Europa League, providing a total return of eleven goals.

Nottingham Forest avoided relegation to the Championship following the appointment of Vitor Pereira, who guided the club to safety after strong performances in the latter stages of the season.

The Tricky Trees will want to add quality personnel to the squad next season and bringing in another striker is high up on the agenda.

Forest are not keeping hold of Lorenzo Lucca, on loan from Napoli, and are now exploring another option in Serie A in the shape of Castro, according to Italian daily Il Resto Del Carlino.

The City Ground side have ‘tested the waters’ over a possible swoop, however, they are not alone in their admiration.

Bologna have put up a €40m starting price for Castro, and the 21-year-old has garnered interest from Chelsea and Aston Villa, who have sent their scouts to watch the player in action in Serie A.

Nottingham Forest and Bologna have a good history in transfer dealings recently due to the Dan Ndoye signing, and previously the deadline-day swap between Remo Freuler and Nicolas Dominguez in 2023.

The summer could bring a lot of changes at City Ground and the club will want to add more firepower to the front line after finishing the season with a minus three goal difference.

However, the Tricky Trees might need to part ways with some players in order to raise funds for the summer, and Arnaud Kalimuendo could leave for Eintracht Frankfurt.

At the moment, Bologna have the upper hand in transfer negotiations as Castro still has four years left on his current contract and his asking price could rise with several clubs hunting for his signature.

Joining Aston Villa could appeal more than heading to Forest, with Villa in the Champions League and just having picked up the Europa League.

In his career, Castro has only played club football in Argentina and Italy, and a possible move to England will be a big decision for the 21-year-old striker.

It remains to be seen whether the Argentine forward would leave Serie A this summer for the prospect of playing in the Premier League or if he will choose to make a move somewhere else.