Nottingham Forest are searching for a left-back this summer as Martin O’Neill doesn’t appear to want Jack Robinson or Ben Osborn operating in the role next season. Danny Fox’s sale to Wigan left the East Midlands outfit short on natural left-backs, but there could be a bargain replacement available on a free transfer…
Martin Olsson is leaving Swansea City at the end of his contract this summer, meaning Forest could sign an ex-Premier League defender for nothing. All they’ll have to do is match his wages to bring him to the City Ground. Olsson could be a shrewd acquisition if the Reds land his signature, but he is currently recovering from injury which may slow down the negotiation process.
The 31-year-old ruptured his achilles against Brentford on December 8, 2018 and was ruled out for the remainder of the season. Olsson had surgery to fix the problem, but the recovery takes a long time. It usually takes between four and six months before people can return to normal activity, so the Swedish international may not be 100% until closer to July.
It may be worth Forest monitoring his progress as Olsson is one of the better left-backs in the Championship. He’s made 197 Premier League appearances and represented the Swedish national team on 47 occasions.
Crippy Cooke’s previous article
Opinion: Martin O’Neill should sell Nottingham Forest centre-back
