Nottingham Forest star was top of wishlist – Change in power scuppers transfer

Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels was Club Brugge’s number one target to replace Simon Mignolet this summer, before a change in power at the Belgian club saw him discarded.

Het Laatste Nieuws cover the Nottingham Forest goalkeeper today, relayed by Voetbal Nieuws. The newspaper details the efforts to sign Sels as the pressure grows on Yann Sommer.

The Swiss goalkeeper is the number one at Brugge after arriving from Inter in the summer. But he’s endured a rocky start to life with the club, including a horror show in the recent defeat to Aston Villa.

Nottingham Forest star wanted

HLN report that what makes it ‘even more painful’ is that he was not initially the one that Brugge wanted.

The club had a different Plan A to replace Simon Mignolet. Under former recruitment director Dévy Rigaux, Matz Sels topped the list. That was because Club Brugge preferred a Belgian goalkeeper with top-level experience.

The Nottingham Forest goalkeeper fit that profile. Preliminary talks began as early as February, and negotiations were ‘reportedly quite advanced’. Sels was not just one name on a list, he was the name.

Change in power, change in plans

HLN say that ‘had Rigaux remained at the club’ then Sels would have been signed from Nottingham Forest. Sommer, meanwhile, would not have been targeted.

The Swiss goalkeeper only came because Rigaux’s replacement – Guilian Preud’homme – took a different route when he arrived in early June.

Preud’homme quickly built a relationship with Sommer. That strong rapport ensured that he headed to Belgium and not somewhere else. Sels, meanwhile, remained at Nottingham Forest as their number one.

A few months later, and Brugge are regretting the move. A series of issues and poor performances have risen since his arrival.

Now they’re looking back and wondering what might have been with Matz Sels, who was the number one target before a change in power at the club.