"In the next hours": Sky Sports journo drops NFFC transfer update supporters will love - opinion

Nottingham Forest are on the verge of signing VfB Stuttgart midfielder Orel Mangala.

That’s according to Sky Sports Deutschland reporter Florian Plettenberg, who revealed in a recent post on Twitter that Steve Cooper’s side are now closing in on a €15m (£13m) deal for the 24-year-old, which is set to be agreed in the next few hours.

In his tweet, the journalist said: “News #Mangala: Next one from the Bundesliga! Mangala is on verge to join Notts Forest. Last details have to be clarified. Negotiations since days. Transfer fee around €15m – bonus payments included. All parties hope for a total agreement in the next hours.

If the Garibaldi manage to secure a move for the Belgium international it would undoubtedly represent a major coup for the club, with fellow Premier League clubs West Ham United and Crystal Palace also linked to the player this summer.

Supporters will love to hear the news that their club is set to sign yet another player, they face a tough challenge to avoid relegation next season and need all the help they can get.

Mangala certainly provides the step up in quality that they desire. The Belgian has proven to be a key player for Stuttgart and has produced impressive performances, so it’s no wonder several clubs have shown an interest in him.

If you compare him to his positional peers in Europe’s big five leagues over the past 12 months, he ranks in the top 1% for the number of players dribbled past and the top 5% for successful dribbles that led to a goal.

Those numbers prove just how good he is on the ball and at 24 years old he’s only going to get better. If Cooper lands this deal then it could be his most significant yet.

The Belgian also created four big chances last season, which is the same amount