Nottingham Forest accept multi-million pound offer for Leeds & Ipswich transfer target | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest have accepted a £5m offer from MLS outfit Nashville SC for striker Sam Surridge, who had been on the radar of Ipswich and Leeds.

Forest accept Sam Surridge offer

The 24-year-old joined the Reds in January 2022, and he became an instant favourite at the City Ground, as Surridge played an important role as Steve Cooper’s side won promotion, scoring seven goals in 20 appearances.

However, with Forest going on a huge spending spree following promotion, Surridge has found game time hard to come by, and he featured just 20 times last season, with the vast majority as a sub.

Therefore, it has always been thought that the striker would move on this summer, and he has been linked with both Leeds and Ipswich Town.

But, it appears he will be heading to the United States, as The Athletic revealed that a deal has been agreed with Nashville.

The MLS side will pay around £5m as an initial fee, whilst Forest will receive another £1m if further add-ons are triggered in the years to come.

Providing this goes through, Surridge will be joining a Nashville side that are third in the Eastern Conference, although they have lost four of their last five games.

Can Ipswich or Leeds still sign Sam Surridge?

Whilst a deal has been agreed, any other club would still be able to come in and match it, although the update does confirm that Surridge knows about interest in this country, but he is looking forward to a new adventure abroad.

“Surridge, whose career also includes spells at Stoke City and Bournemouth, had options to remain in England but is understood to have decided he would prefer a fresh start in a new country.”

Therefore, it seems Surridge’s mind is made up, and whilst there is time for him to perform a u-turn, it would seemingly take a big offer from either of the interested clubs.

Ipswich have already brought in a striker this summer, with George Hirst signing on a four-year contract from Leicester after his loan spell at Portman Road last season.

You can understand why both clubs had been looking at Surridge, because he is a player who is proven at Championship level. Not only does he score goals, but Surridge offers a real focal point with his size and physicality, and he works hard, so he would be ideally suited to the high-pressing approach that Daniel Farke and Kieran McKenna will look to implement at their respective clubs.

Like many in the division, both are going to be on the search for a new number nine this summer, and it’s a difficult signing to get right.

For Leeds, there are doubts about the future of Patrick Bamford, and they’ve already lost Rodrigo, so finding a goalscorer is going to be a priority for Farke. And, all the talk suggests that the German will be backed in the market by the 49ers as they look to make sure their stay in the Championship is a short one.

With Ipswich, they’re an equally ambitious club, and the funds are expected to be available for McKenna, who will know the importance of getting it right this summer. Even after Hirst’s signing, you would still expect a striker to be signed.