Nottingham Forest could miss out on Niklas Hult because Panathinaikos do not want to deal with the Reds owner Evangelos Marinakis,who has ties with their arch-rivals Olympiacos.

Reports over the past few days had revealed that Sweden international Hult, who can play at left-back or left-midfield, was wanted by new Forest boss Aitor Karanka.

And, the Championship side are even believed to have tabled a bid for Hult of around £270,000. Whilst that is considered below his genuine value, Panathinaikos have financial problems and the player is currently in a dispute with the club over a wage issue.

Yet, despite that, the Nottingham Post have revealed that reports in Greece state they will look to send the player elsewhere instead of strengthening a club owned by Marinakis.

The shipping magnate has been the owner of Olympiacos since 2010 in which time they have dominated Greek football.

Fellow Greek side PAOK and Belgian giants Anderlecht have also expressed an interest in Hult, which could make it even more difficult for Forest to lure the player to England.

The Verdict

This is one of the more bizarre transfer stories this month, particularly as it involved two clubs unwilling to do business that are in different countries.

Whether Panathinaikos would maintain this stance if Forest came in with a bigger offer remains to be seen, however it does seem genuine and would be a big blow for the Reds.

Hult is an experienced player who would add a lot to the East Midlands outfit, but if a deal can’t be done then they need to start looking elsewhere.

Thoughts, Forest fans? Let us know in the comments below.