Nottingham Forest Eyeing £12k-A-Week Serie A Defender

Nottingham Forest are interested in signing Monza left back Carlos Augusto this summer, journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed.

Who is Carlos Augusto?

The £12,000-a-week defender was a key player for Monza throughout the 2022/23 season, starting 35 of his side’s 38 Serie A matches mostly on the left of a back five. In that time, he scored six goals and registered five assists, highlighted his attacking pedigree from his defensive role, also winning four Man of the Match awards from WhoScored.

Augusto’s performances throughout the campaign are likely to have caught the eye of a number of clubs – he led his squad in direct goal contributions and overall match rating from wing-back – and with his current deal expiring next year, he finds himself at a potential crossroads in his career.

It means his current club will either have to sell him this summer, in order to receive a healthy fee for his services, or risky losing him for free in 2024, should he fail to agree an extension.

That’s where Forest come into play, as the Reds look to make significant reinforcements in the summer transfer window. They could soon have to replace loan star Renan Lodi, with reports suggesting they may miss out on a permanent deal for the Brazilian.

Are Forest signing Augusto?

Writing on Twitter on Sunday, Romano claimed that Forest are keen on the idea of signing Augusto, although Inter Milan are ahead of them in the pecking order:

“Inter will continue talks with Monza for Carlo Augusto next week. He’s concrete target as new left back — no issues on personal terms. Nottingham Forest also appreciate the Brazilian LB but Inter are now ahead.”

Augusto could be a really shrewd signing by Forest if they could get a deal over the line, although the presence of Inter is clearly a possible issue, given their status as recent Champions League finalists.

At 24, the Brazilian would be arriving at the City Ground at a good age, with plenty of time to mature under Steve Cooper, and his aforementioned quality going forward could make Forest more of a force in the attacking area of the pitch.

That’s not to say that Augusto isn’t also an effective defensive player, however, averaging 2.1 tackles and clearances apiece in Serie A in 2022/23, so the Reds could be signing an impressive all-round package who could help take Cooper’s side up a gear once next season gets underway.

Augusto looks like the perfect replacement for Lodi if Evangelos Marinakis cannot tie the latter down to a permanent stay.