Nottingham Forest were reportedly close to agreeing the signing of Croatia's World Cup hero Dominik Livakovic in the summer.
The Dinamo Zagreb shot-stopper has emerged as a popular figure at the World Cup in Qatar after saving three penalties to eliminate Japan in the round of 16. He also impressed against Brazil, denying Rodrygo in the penalty shoot-out as Croatia booked a place in the semi-finals.
It has been claimed that Premier League sides including Manchester United and Leicester City passed up on the opportunity to land the 27-year-old. United were keen to provide a back-up to David de Gea while Leicester sought a replacement for Kasper Schmeichel, who departed to French side OGC Nice.
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According to The Athletic, Livakovic was available for a fee of between £4million and £9m, and Forest came "close" to agreeing a €6m (£5m) deal for the shot-stopper, before deciding against it. They opted to sign a "more high-profile player" to replace Brice Samba, who joined Ligue 1 side Lens - bringing in Dean Henderson on loan from Manchester United.
Given Livakovic's World Cup heroics, he is tipped to be a target for a number of European sides next summer. The 27-year-old is under contract until 2024, and Dinamo would apparently be open to sell their player if the price is right.
The shot-stopper has made 262 appearances for the Croatian side, while keeping 122 clean sheets.
Would Livakovic have been a good signing for Forest? Let us know in the comments section...
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