Nottingham Forest are willing to allow £10million signing Cuiabano to leave on loan before the end of January, with Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas among their list of targets as they look to strengthen at left back.
Cuiabano, the Brazilian left back, was one of four players signed from Botafogo last summer, along with striker Igor Jesus (£16million), central defender Jair Cunha (£10million) and goalkeeper John Victor.
But while the 22-year-old did play for the B team against Paris Saint-Germain on Monday night, he is yet to make an appearance for the Forest first team.
After joining Forest, he immediately returned to Botafogo on loan for the remainder of the Brazilian league season but returned to the Midlands last month, with Forest now open to finding him another move.
A loan switch to one of the other clubs in the Evangelos Marinakis football empire, either Portuguese oufit Rio Ave or Greek side Olympiacos, is the most likely outcome.
Oleksandr Zinchenko’s loan move from Arsenal has been a disappointment, with the Ukrainian starting only four Premier League games. His City Ground stay is expected to be cut short, in order to facilitate a loan move to Ajax – so Forest do want to add to their left back options.
And Liverpool defender Tsimikas is among their shortlist of targets. The 29-year-old, who began his career at Olympiacos, is currently on loan at Roma, but has found his opportunities limited in Italy, where he has made only four Serie A starts.
Tsimikas has only made four starts for Roma in Serie A this season (Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Roma would be willing to cut short the Greek international’s loan deal, as long as they can themselves source a replacement for him. Forest previously held an interest in Tsimikas last summer, before he secured his move to Roma.
Analysis
Cuiabano, a young man armed with fierce pace, was seen as somebody who would fit perfectly into a Nuno Espirito Santo side that had counter-attacking speed down the flanks at its core.
A player who can also play as a wingback or even a winger, Cuiabano is a player who likes to attack.
Whether that would make him as perfect a fit within a side now managed by Sean Dyche would be up for debate, however, with the former Burnley and Everton manager liking his back four to be strong defensively, as a starting point.
With Zinchenko expected to depart, Dyche’s Forest are now in need of further cover on the left side of defence.
Both Neco Williams and Ola Aina are very capable of playing there, despite being naturally right sided, with Wales international Williams again having made the position his own with a string of consistent performances this season.
Tsimikas is not the only Forest target, but he is somebody the Forest hierarchy would know well, with him having been an Olympiacos player from 2015 until 2020, prior to his £11.25million move to Anfield.
He would also bring Premier League experience to the Forest side, having made 66 top flight appearances for Liverpool, during five seasons at the club.
