Fabrizio Romano reveals Nottingham Forest first team star has Agreed Personal Terms to JOIN European Giants, He has Already Packed his Bags and Awaiting GO-AHEAD from Reds to LEAVE City Ground Imminently

Nottingham Forest midfielder Danilo is reportedly on the verge of joining French club Lyon.

It promises to be a hectic summer for the Reds as they fine-tune head coach Nuno Espirito Santo’s team in anticipation of the 2025/26 season. Both arrivals and departures are expected, and it appears Brazilian Danilo could be among the first to depart.

According to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano on X, Lyon are “closing in” on a deal for the 24-year-old. A €25 million (£21m) bid is said to have been submitted, with the “final green light” still needed from Forest to finalise the move.

Danilo completed his move to the City Ground from Palmeiras in January 2023 for a reported fee between £16-18m. He has racked up 62 appearances and found the net six times in the Garibaldi.

A well-liked figure on Trentside, he began the 2024/25 campaign as a regular starter in central midfield alongside Ibrahim Sangare. However, he picked up a serious ankle injury just minutes into the opener against Bournemouth.

A long spell out of action followed before Danilo returned in January. He played 12 matches in the latter half of the season but struggled to reclaim his starting place amid stiff competition in midfield.

Reds owner Evangelos Marinakis is believed to have a strong connection with his Lyon counterpart, John Textor. The Ligue 1 side brought in midfielder Orel Mangala and centre-back Moussa Niakhate from Forest a year ago.

BRENTFORD, ENGLAND – JANUARY 20: Danilo of Nottingham Forest celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Brentford FC and Nottingham Forest at Gtech Community Stadium on January 20, 2024 in Brentford, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

In addition, Forest are aiming to sign a trio of players from another of Textor’s clubs. Agreements are being pursued for Botafogo’s Igor Jesus, Jair Cunha, and Cuiabano, with reports from Brazil indicating Marinakis and Textor have personally managed the negotiations.

As per Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte, Lyon intend to pay the fee for Danilo in four separate instalments. A temporary transfer window opened for Premier League teams on Sunday and runs until June 10. It will then reopen on June 16 and remain active until September 1.