Nottingham Forest's €17.5m Bid for Gjivairo Read Rejected by Feyenoord

Nottingham Forest have tested Feyenoord’s resolve with a €17.5m (£14.9m) offer for highly rated right-back Gjivairo Read – and been firmly sent back to the drawing board.

The Eredivisie club rejected Forest’s opening bid, as confirmed by Fabrizio Romano, but this feels less like the end of a story and more like the first move in a transfer tug-of-war. Forest are expected to come again. Harder this time.

Forest make their move

At 20, Read has already pushed his way into the conversation at the top end of the European market. Feyenoord have leaned on him early, handing him 54 senior appearances by an age when many full-backs are still bouncing between under-21 fixtures and loan spells.

That exposure has drawn attention. Nottingham Forest have now formalised theirs, only to be told their first proposal isn’t enough.

Reports in the Netherlands, via Voetbal International journalist Martijn Krabbendam and relayed by Sport Witness, suggest Feyenoord would be ready to negotiate at around €25m (£21.3m). In today’s market, that figure places Read squarely in the “serious but attainable” bracket for Premier League clubs.

Forest, who have been aggressive and opportunistic in recent windows, know that territory well.

Liverpool watch, but do not act

Read’s situation is complicated by the calibre of clubs monitoring him. He has admirers at Liverpool, where the right-back position is a live question.

On paper, he fits a glaring need. Liverpool’s depth on that flank rests heavily on Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong, a pairing that offers plenty of talent but comes with durability concerns. The idea of starting a long, high-intensity season with what amounts to “two halves of a right-back” will not sit comfortably on Merseyside.

Yet Liverpool have not moved. No bid. No formal step, despite the relatively modest numbers being discussed and despite the player’s profile aligning with their usual recruitment sweet spot: young, proven at a good level, room to grow.

The logic inside Anfield may be straightforward. New head coach Andoni Iraola is set to assess his options in pre-season, with games beginning around July 13. Bradley and Frimpong will get their chance to convince him that the position is already covered. If Iraola feels he can trust that pair over 50-plus games, the urgency to enter a bidding war for Read diminishes.

That is the calculation. The risk is obvious.

A market opportunity in plain sight

Read is not without blemish. His 2025/26 campaign included a hamstring injury, the sort of setback that always triggers a note of caution when big money is involved. Yet at 19, with a body still developing, such issues are hardly unusual. The broader picture – 54 senior games for Feyenoord by 20 – tells you how he is viewed inside his own club.

The interest from elsewhere underlines it. Manchester City and Bayern Munich have both been linked with the Dutchman. When that calibre of club starts circling a young full-back, the room for hesitation shrinks fast.

Brentford’s Michael Kayode, another name who had been floated as a potential solution at right-back, has already been removed from the equation after signing a long-term deal. One avenue closed. Read, for now, remains open.

That is what makes Forest’s move so intriguing. They have gone early, before the true heavyweights have decided whether to put their chips on the table. They have established a price range. They have flushed out Feyenoord’s stance.

The response from Rotterdam was clear: €17.5m is not enough. But €25m? That starts a conversation.

Who blinks first?

For Forest, the equation is simple. Pay close to Feyenoord’s asking price and they secure a 20-year-old right-back with high upside and significant resale potential, in a position where top-tier options are notoriously expensive.

For Liverpool, the question is more uncomfortable. Do they trust their existing options and their medical reports enough to let a promising, attainable target join a domestic rival for what, in the current market, qualifies as a reasonable fee? Or do they intervene before Forest close the deal and the price climbs beyond “smart business” territory?

Read’s potential is not a secret anymore. The market has noticed. Feyenoord know what they have. Forest have made their move.

The next decision belongs to clubs who cannot afford to get this position wrong.