According to Fanatik, Calin Popescu has opted against joining Nottingham Forest and will sign an 18-month deal for Sepsi OSK. The highly-rated winger had a trial at the City Ground and with Sunderland, but he wanted first-team football which had a major bearing in his decision.
It’s a blow for Forest as the 17-year-old is believed to have bags of potential and impressed during his trial, but the likelihood is that he would spend the majority of his time in the u18s and u23s, rather than get competitive first-team football.
As for Popescu’s new club, Sepsi finished fourth in the Romanian Liga 1 last season. The tricky winger could now get top-flight football which will greatly aid with his development. Forest and Sunderland were snubbed this time, but the 17-year-old might be open to a move to England when he feels he’d feature on a more regular basis.
A switch to the City Ground may have been too soon, with the likes of Joe Lolley and Matty Cash way ahead of Popescu in the pecking order. If Arvin Appiah can’t yet get a sniff of first-team football, Popescu would struggle too.
Crippy Cooke’s previous article
Nottingham Forest ‘take an interest’ in centre-back who is ‘struggling for game time’
