Report: Nottingham Forest won’t agree deal with Stoke City to sell left-midfielder

Nottingham Forest will not agree a deal with Stoke City to sell Ben Osborn on transfer deadline day, reports Nottinghamshire Live. The 24-year-old has an uncertain future at the City Ground as he’s found himself in and out of the first-team this season. Stoke were looking to capitalise on the situation, but the Reds don’t appear keen to sell.

Osborne was a regular at the start of the campaign, making his 137^th consecutive appearance for Forest, but he was dropped at the end of October 2018 and didn’t earn his spot back in the side for nearly three months. The left-midfielder amassed only 279 minutes of Championship football between October 24, 2018 and January 1, 2019.

Since rising through the youth ranks to the first-team in 2014, Osborne has gone on to make a total of 215 appearances in all competitions, scoring and creating 47 goals. The former England u20 international still has 18 months remaining on his contract, but Stoke might be an attractive proposition if they can guarantee Osborne regular minutes.

Forest have been struggling of late and it’s put their hopes of a top-six place in jeopardy. The Reds are currently ninth in the Championship and four points adrift of the playoffs.

Crippy Cooke’s previous article