Nottingham Forest have entered the race to sign Estudiantes midfielder Mikel Amondarain, who could be brought in as an alternative to Lucas Bergvall.
After losing Elliot Anderson to Manchester City earlier in the window, Forest are still searching for a new midfielder, but it could be very difficult to replace the England international.
Anderson proved his worth at the World Cup, averaging 56.5 accurate passes per 90, which ranked him third in the squad, while 6.7 defensive contributions per 90 was the second-highest of Thomas Tuchel’s players.
As such, the Tricky Trees will need to sign a midfielder who is comfortable in possession and strong defensively this summer, and that search has led them to Amondarain.
In the 2026 Liga Profesional Clausura, the Argentine’s defensive attributes have been on display, ranking second in the Estudiantes squad in terms of recoveries per 90, having averaged 6.2.
However, the 21-year-old is also capable of making an impact further forward, having picked up four goals and three assists in 40 matches since making his first-team breakthrough.
Former Estudiantes boss Eduardo Dominguez was full of praise for the well-rounded midfielder in August of last year, saying: “Mikel makes us very happy. He played naturally and did very well. It felt like he had been with us for a very long time. It seemed like he knew Santiago (Ascacíbar) and Cristian (Medina) by heart. It’s strange how naturally he played. It’s not normal.”
Nottingham Forest enter race to sign Mikel Amondarain
According to a report from Ole (via Sport Witness), Nottingham Forest now hold a firm interest in signing Amondarain, and Estudiantes are prepared to sanction a sale for the right price.
The Argentine side have already knocked back a £5.2m bid from Real Betis, which provides a reference point as to where Forest may need to start negotiations.
However, he remains under contract until the summer of 2028, which means the Argentine side remain in a strong negotiating position.
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Should Nottingham Forest sign Mikel Amondarain? |
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|---|---|
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Pros |
Cons |
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Young enough to be a long-term Anderson replacement |
Would be first big move |
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Strong defensively |
Limited senior experience |
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Well-rounded, with a keen eye for goal |
Never played in Europe |
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Versatile enough to play right-wing if required |
Relatively unknown quantity with no international caps |
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Deal unlikely to break the bank |
May need a loan move initially |
Forest remain in the hunt to sign Lucas Bergvall
While the Argentine youngster could be signed as a Bergvall alternative, Forest remain in the hunt to sign the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder.
It has been widely reported that Spurs have now U-turned, and are willing to sanction a sale, which is good news for Oliver Glasner‘s side, who are set to make a new bid, after having an initial offer of £38m knocked back.
However, Forest may need to shell out nearly half of the £116m raised by selling Anderson, if they are going to get a deal for Bergvall over the line, with the north Londoners holding out for £50m.
