Nottingham Forest have confirmed the signing of midfielder Fouad Bachirou from Malmo.
The 30-year-old becomes the Reds’ fourth new addition of the summer, joining for an undisclosed fee, said to be in the region of £600,000.
Bachirou joins Jack Colback, Tyler Blackett and Lyle Taylor in agreeing terms at the City Ground, as head coach Sabri Lamouchi looks to put together a squad capable of challenging for promotion.
He has put pen to paper on a two-year deal, until June 2022, though it is understood there is an option to extend by a year beyond that.
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Lamouchi is understood to have been keen to secure the France-born Comoros international’s signature, with the club having tracked him for some time.
Bachirou was at PSG as a youngster, playing for their academy, before joining Greenock Morton in 2010.
He spent four years at the Scottish club, making more than 130 appearances and becoming something of a fans’ favourite.
Forest are believed to have contacted Greenock to find out about the player, and received positive reports about his character.
After leaving Morton, Bachirou headed to Ostersunds, then switched to fellow Swedish outfit Malmo in 2018.
He is described as a high-energy, box-to-box midfielder, with a strong work ethic, and is seen as an important piece of the jigsaw for the Reds in their bid to reach the Premier League.
With John Bostock and Alfa Semedo’s loan spells having ended, and out-of-contract Ben Watson expected to move on, Forest’s central midfield was an area still requiring strengthening, despite the arrival of Colback.
Samba Sow also continues to struggle with a knee problem which he suffered with for much of last season.
Bachirou will now link up with his new teammates as they step up their preparations for the new campaign, with a trip to Barnsley in the Carabao Cup less than a fortnight away.
