Nottingham Forest agree deal to sign defender compared to John Stones
Nottingham Forest have passed a quiet transfer deadline day so far, certainly by recent standards, but they do at least seem to be closing in on one signing.
According to The Athletic, The Reds are set to seal a deal for teenage defender Lewis Carrol from Aberdeen. The report says the 16-year-old has attracted interest from Arsenal and Chelsea in the last year-and-a-half but has opted for Forest.
The youngster, who will go into the youth set-up, is described as a ‘ball playing defender’ while the story goes on to say that Premier League clubs have been more keen on the internal UK market after Brexit regulations meant they could not sign under 18s from overseas.
READ MORE: Nottingham Forest confirm deadline day deal as transfer chase comes to an end
READ MORE: Nottingham Forest confirm deadline day signing as transfer decision made
Carrol has played above his age group when coming up through the ranks at Aberdeen. If he puts pen to paper for the Reds, he could link up with the Under-18s.
Forest have David Modupe, Ethan Broomes, Will Thompson and Evan Boulter as the centre-backs currently on the books at that level.
A previous report by The Athletic compared Carrol to Manchester City’s John Stones in style. The youngster’s height and ability to bring the ball out of defence reportedly earned comparisons with the 30-year-old defender.
Carrol is not the only young talent the Reds are targeting in the final hours of the winter window. Reading defender Tyler Bindon is expected to put pen to paper for Forest, although the 20-year-old will likely rejoin the Royals on loan for the rest of the season.
