Nottingham Forest could still secure a permanent move for Fulham defender Cyrus Christie this summer despite a one-year extension having been triggered in his deal at Craven Cottage, according to Nottinghamshire Live.
Christie spent the season on loan with Nottingham Forest and the right-back managed to make 44 appearances in the Championship, registering three assists and helping the Reds record 14 clean sheets.
The 28-year-old was due to be a free-agent in the summer with his current deal set to run out with Fulham, but they have now confirmed he has been handed a one-year extension.
That suggests that the defender might well be in Scott Parker’s plans for their return to the Championship and that they are keen for him to stick around and be a part of their squad for next season.
However, according to the latest report from Nottinghamshire Live, Chris Hughton’s side could still potentially make a permanent move for Christie this summer despite his contract situation at Fulham.
That is because it is believed that the Reds still hold an option to buy the defender from Fulham when the transfer window reopens. However, it is not known as of yet whether Nottingham Forest would be keen to activate that option or not.
The Verdict
You would expect Nottingham Forest to be interested in potentially turning Christie’s loan move into a permanent one given that he was virtually an ever-present during his loan spell with them. The right-back got off to a difficult start to life at the City Ground but he did show a lot of improvements to his form as the campaign progressed.
Christie is a solid enough right-back at Championship level, but now that Forest are going to have to pay a fee for him to bring him in permanently they might want to consider other potential alternatives. There will be some supporters who feel they need better quality in that position if they are able to mount a challenge for promotion next term in the English second tier.
It appears that the situation is all in Forest’s hands now and if Hughton wants to re-sign him, he will have the chance to do so. It might come down to how much their option to buy is for and whether they feel they could get better value for money by bringing in another option instead.