Nottingham Forest ace closing on summer exit as transfer fee 'almost agreed'

Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Brice Samba is edging closer to the exit door as a move to Lens gathers pace.

A fee of 5m euros (about £4.3m) has almost been agreed, according to L’Equipe. And the switch could be completed early next week.

The Reds are set to make Dean Henderson their second summer signing. The Manchester United shot-stopper will put pen to paper on a season-long loan at the City Ground, paving the way for Samba’s departure.

Samba has been a key figure for Forest since joining from Caen in the summer of 2019, and he played a crucial role in securing promotion to the Premier League - most notably with his penalty shootout heroics against Sheffield United. But a return to France is now on the cards.

The 28-year-old has 12 months left to run on his current contract. He turned down the offer of a new one, amid suggestions he deemed the terms “unacceptable”.

L’Equipe report a one-year extension was put forward, but it “did not suit him”. He is said to have asked the Reds “to speed up the negotiations” over his departure.

Samba’s former goalkeeping coach at Caen, Herve Sekli, has linked up with Lens this summer. The club are also in need of a replacement for No.1 Wuilker Farinez, who suffered an ACL injury while on international duty.