Nottingham Forest pursues Aston Villa, Sevilla defenders in squad overhaul

Nottingham Forest is actively working to strengthen its defense ahead of their return to European competition, focusing on the right-back position. The club has made a £9.55 million offer for Sevilla's versatile 23-year-old right-back Jose Angel Carmona, although Carmona has reportedly chosen to remain in Spain, rejecting the move. To facilitate a deal, Forest is considering a swap involving their center-back David Carmo, who is valued around £8 million and is favored by Sevilla as a replacement for Loic Bade. In parallel, Forest has opened discussions with Aston Villa for a potential return of right-back Matty Cash, a 28-year-old Poland international and former Forest player, with talks still in early stages. The club's owner, Evangelos Marinakis, has invested over £140 million this summer on squad reinforcements, including high-profile signings like Omari Hutchinson and Arnaud Kalimuendo, signaling a clear ambition to compete strongly domestically and in Europe. Additionally, Forest is close to securing Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz on loan from Juventus, with an option to buy depending on appearances.