nottingham forest It appears that Nobel Mendy is in a better position to act quickly, with the latest report from Portugal suggesting that the rivals are still in no position to make a move.
Interest in the 21-year-old centre-back first emerged in Spain, Where we covered Forest, Benfica and Atalanta reports Everyone was eager and ready to submit strong proposals. It outlined a competitive race on paper.
However, coverage from the Portuguese newspaper record Important context has now been added – specifically around Benfica's situation. And that's good news for Nottingham Forest.
Benfica is not ready to act yet
According to records, Benfica has been monitoring Nobel Mendy for some time. Despite this, no proposal has come yet. And the reason is structural rather than financial.
Benfica's next move in the centre-back market depends on the future of Nicolas Otamendi and Antonio Silva. Both could leave this summer, and only once the situation is resolved will the club decide whether to pursue Mendy.
This effectively stops their interest.
This is an important detail that was not clear in the initial reporting from Spain. While Benfica are firmly in the race, they are in no position to accelerate it at the moment.
Are the forests ready to be moved first?
Of course, this creates an obvious contrast with Nottingham Forest. The Premier League side were already reported to be ready to submit a high offer to Spain, and unlike Benfica, there is no internal situation slowing them down at present.
It doesn't appear that Forrest is waiting for an exit or a contract resolution before stepping into this position. Practically, this could allow him to first link up with Rayo Vallecano, who are expected to make Mendy's deal permanent with Real Betis for €2.4m (£2.1m).
If Forest want to act quickly, they could enter into talks before other interested clubs are fully ready to enter the race.
what happens next
Spanish reports suggested a three-way conflict. The Portuguese press now presents a more nuanced picture.
Forest's willingness to move forward with a concrete offer could give them an early advantage. Meanwhile, Benfica is waiting for internal decisions, which is likely to cause a delay.
Meanwhile, Nobel Mendy has done a lot to continue attracting attention. He has featured regularly for Rayo Vallecano this season and recently earned his first senior cap for Senegal in March.
Nevertheless, their role is not completely fixed. He was recently left on the bench in the 1–0 win against Strasbourg in the UEFA Conference League semi-finals. After all he is still developing.
So if timing proves decisive, Nottingham Forest may have a clearer path forward than when interest initially surfaced.
