Sevilla to sign Nottingham Forest loanee Loic Bade?

Sevilla are reportedly in line to sign Rennes defender Loic Bade during the January transfer window.

Having made an impression for Lens and Rennes since the start of 2020-21, Bade is regarded as one of French football's top prospects at centre-back.

Bade has earned a total of three caps for France Under-21s, with that recognition playing a part in Nottingham Forest signing the player during the summer.

While that was initially on a season-long loan deal, it came with the option of Forest securing Bade's services on a permanent basis, something which was once deemed likely.

However, Bade has not made a single first-team appearance for the East Midlands outfit and has featured on the substitutes' bench on just one occasion in the Premier League.

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With Steve Cooper rating several players higher than Bade in his pecking order for the middle of the defence, frequent opportunities being presented to Bade in the future appear to be unlikely.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the situation is to be resolved by Sevilla signing Bade at the start of the upcoming transfer window.

The Spanish outfit will take over the same conditions as Forest with a buy option able to be activated at the end of the campaign.

The 22-year-old is also said to have agreed personal terms and is ready to swap the City Ground for Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

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Sevilla are likely to make numerous changes to their first-team squad, a result of a change in head coach and the club sitting towards the lower end of La Liga.

Jorge Sampaoli is tasked with trying to move the club out of the relegation zone as soon as possible with just 11 points being collected from 14 matches.

In recent weeks, it has been claimed that Argentina World Cup winner Marcos Acuna and Spanish playmaker Isco will be departing the club.

However, the signing of Bade is a bid to improve their defensive options with Sevilla having yet to find suitable replacements for Jules Kounde and Diego Carlos, the first-choice centre-back pairing joining Barcelona and Aston Villa respectively.