Former Nottingham Forest captain Joe Worrall is close to completing a permanent move to Burnley.
A deal between the two clubs is close to being agreed and Worrall is travelling to Burnley to undergo a medical today (Wednesday), with personal terms still to be finalised.
The Athletic reported Worrall was part of a group of fringe players Forest were willing to sell this summer, having spent the second half of last season on loan at Besiktas.
The 27-year-old centre-back was named Forest captain by Steve Cooper in the summer of 2022 and signed a new three-year deal in September 2023. However, he subsequently saw his game time restricted last season, and his cause was not helped by a disagreement with Cooper.
Worrall made six Premier League appearances before Cooper’s departure in December and just one substitute cameo under new head coach Nuno Espirito Santo.
His loan move to Besiktas was completed in February, which included an option to buy, and he made nine appearances in all competitions for the Turkish side.
Worrall, a Forest academy graduate who joined the club in 2011, made 226 first team appearances for the club.
He featured 46 times in all competitions as Forest secured promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs in 2021-22.
His proposed move to Burnley comes with a number of clubs interested in centre-back Dara O’Shea, and centre-back departures at the Championship club are expected due to the number of senior players they have in that position.
Forest have strengthened at centre-back this summer with the signing of Nikola Milenkovic from Fiorentina.
Burnley were relegated from the Premier League last season and Scott Parker was appointed Vincent Kompany’s successor this summer. They have begun the Championship season with a 4-1 win against Luton Town and a 5-0 victory against Cardiff City.
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