One player who ‘agreed terms’ with Manchester United last summer will be cursing his luck after missing out on a move.
Odysseas Vlachodimos was lined up as a back-up goalkeeper, with Sky Germany reporting last summer that Manchester United had a verbal agreement to sign the shot stopper.
However, Manchester United eventually went in an different direction, preferring Altay Bayindir, and Vlachominos ended up signing with Nottingham Forest instead.
It has not gone at all well for the big Greek at the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest disaster for Vlachodimos
Nottingham Forest signed another goalkeeper on January transfer deadline day, showing what they thought of their current options.
New £5 million addition Matz Sels went straight into the starting line-up following his move from Strasbrourg, making his debut against Bournemouth.
This followed Matt Turner’s mistake against Arsenal in midweek, which felt like one high-profile error too many.
Odysseas Vlachodimos, meanwhile, did very little in his five Premier League appearances to suggest that he can be relied upon in such a high-pressure situation either.
He has now gone from first to potentially third-choice in a matter of weeks after first falling behind Turner and then Sels too, with a change of manager in the process.
Earlier this season Vlachodimos made his debut under Steve Cooper with the most commanding of clean sheets. A lot has changed since.
Nuno Espirito Santo, Cooper’s successor, immediately installed Turner as his number one ahead of Vlachodimos, and now he is down to number three.
And this is not a great indictment of a man who, if things had worked out differently, could be providing back-up for Andre Onana at Manchester United instead these days.
Manchester United were keen
“Yes, there was,” Vlachodimos told Greek outlet Gazzetta when asked if there was any contact with the Old Trafford, United turning their attention to Altay Bayindir after their reported £5 million offer fell short of Benfica’s demands.
According to Sky, the Red Devils reached an agreement on terms too, shortly before Vlachodimos joined Forest instead for a fee of £8 million. United signed Bayindir for £5 million.
Five games and four defeats later – with 12 goals conceded along the way – and Vlachodimos’ Premier League career already feels destined to come to a rather premature conclusion.
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