Midfielder adored by Jose Mourinho now shares why he rejected Nottingham Forest transfer

Nottingham Forest were rather active in the transfer market this summer even if things were a lot less chaotic this time around.

Rather than needing a complete overhaul, Forest simply needed meat to add to the bones of the squad, with quality over quantity the order of the day.

Forest added 11 new players, with two of them – Marko Stamenic and David Carmo – joining Olympiacos on season-long loan deals.

On transfer deadline day, Forest were trying to do a number of deals but ended up getting James Ward-Prowse and Morato over the line.

Nuno Espirito Santo now has a plethora of talent to call upon and the Reds have started with nine points from six games this season.

As ever, Forest did have some deals that didn’t come off and now one player appears to be settled nicely at his new club.

Edoardo Bove shares why he rejected Nottingham Forest

The Italian midfielder was largely expected to sign for Forest for a long time this summer as the window drew to a close.

Bove had come through the ranks at Roma and drew praise from Jose Mourinho during his time with the Serie A giants.

Forest were keen to strike a deal for the midfielder before Ward-Prowse was added but Bove had a last-minute change of heart and opted for Fiorentina instead.

He told Corriere dello Sport: “I define it as a choice of the heart, because it comes from the project that the Viola managers proposed to me and from the warmth that I felt when they presented it to me that immediately encouraged me to say yes.

“In addition, the Florentines immediately made me feel at home and that is not a secondary thing for someone like me who was leaving Rome for the first time.”

Forest shouldn’t rue Bove’s decision too much

The Reds fan base are extremely happy with the signing of Ward-Prowse and his set pieces will be a huge asset to the team this season.

Bove would have been a risk from the off given that he’s never played in the Premier League and would have been expected to come in and play.

At 22-years-old, the player might have been one for the future and Forest didn’t really need a player befitting of that profile once Danilo was struck down with an injury.

Ward-Prowse is a tried and tested option in midfield and he should provide more at the moment than Bove would have done.

The youngster has made four appearances for Fiorentina this season and it will be interesting to see if the Reds still keep an eye on him ahead of future windows.