Ben Osborn’s move to Sheffield United has been confirmed.
The versatile midfielder has been reluctantly sold by Nottingham Forest, in a deal understood to be worth between £3m and £3.5m - although the fee is officially undisclosed.
The 24-year-old had only one year left remaining on his City Ground contract and was attracted by the lure of Premier League football.
Once United’s interest became apparent, Forest were aware that getting the best possible deal for the player now - rather than risking losing him for nothing at the end of the season - was their best course of action.
An initial offer of £3m was rejected by the Reds, but a restructured offer - which is understood to include more money up front and an improvement to potential future sell-on clauses - was reluctantly accepted.
Osborn joins the newly promoted Blades on a three year deal that is understood to include clauses that could earn Forest more in the future.
Forest will use the money raised to invest in the team, with Sabri Lamouchi having recently spoken of his desire to see the Reds make additions in defence, midfield and attack.
The Reds are understood to be pursuing more than one striker in particular, as they look to bolster their firepower ahead of the coming campaign.
Osborn came on as a late substitute against Crystal Palace last week, as Sabri Lamouchi’s side notched up an encouraging 1-0 win - and that proved to be his final appearance in a Forest shirt.
Osborn has been a versatile first team regular at the City Ground under a succession of managers and has made 194 starts and 36 sub appearances for the Reds, since making his debut under Gary Brazil, at Ipswich in March 2014.
