Nottingham Forest have confirmed that midfielder Tiago Silva has left the club to join Olympiacos on a permanent deal.

The playmaker only joined the Reds from Portuguese outfit Feirense last summer and enjoyed a relatively good first season at the City Ground, scoring three goals and registering four assists in 44 Championship games.

Despite the fact he was a regular under Sabri Lamouchi, the boss has strengthened his midfield this summer, with Silva falling down the pecking order.

As a result, Forest have been happy to sanction a transfer for the 27-year-old and they announced on their official site that a deal has been agreed with the Greek champions.

Of course, the two clubs have a close relationship as Evangelos Marinakis is the owner of Olympiacos and another deal is expected imminently. That's because Cafu, a more defence minded midfielder, is expected to join Forest as part of the deal that took Silva to Greece.

Forest have endured a difficult start to the season and are seeking their first points against Bristol City this afternoon.

The verdict

Even though this has been in the pipeline for some time, it's quite surprising that Forest have allowed Silva to leave.

That's because they have struggled this season, particularly in the final third, which is evident by the fact they have yet to score a goal and Silva's creativity could be missed.

However, it's a decision the club have made and it will be interesting to see what sort of impact Cafu can have in the Championship.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.