Stefan Ortega Set to Join Nottingham Forest from Manchester City

omidbasir- According to German football reporter Florian Plettenberg, goalkeeper Stefan Ortega is on the verge of joining Nottingham Forest under manager Sean Dyche. The two clubs have reportedly reached an agreement, with Ortega verbally committing to the move while transfer terms were negotiated.

The deal, as reported by BBC Sport, will see Nottingham Forest pay Manchester City a fee of up to £500,000 ($685,000) for Ortega’s services before the winter transfer market closes on February 2. Should the transfer proceed as expected, Ortega will become the sixth player to leave City this month, following the departures of Oscar Bobb, Jadel Katongo, Will Dickson, Jaden Heskey, and Claudio Echeverri, who all secured moves to various clubs.

Nottingham Forest has acted swiftly in securing a new goalkeeper due to John Victor’s knee injury, which will keep him sidelined for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. Currently positioned 17th in the Premier League and five points above the relegation zone, Forest has been active in the January transfer market, including the loan signing of Napoli striker Lorenzo Lucca and a rejected £35 million ($48 million) bid for Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta.

While Manchester City boasts a strong goalkeeper roster with Gianluigi Donnarumma and James Trafford as the primary options, Ortega’s departure signifies a loss for manager Pep Guardiola, who has a deep appreciation for the player. Since joining City from Arminia Bielefeld in 2022, Ortega has made 56 appearances, contributing to the club’s success, including a historic treble during the 2022-23 season.

One of Ortega’s standout moments came when he made a crucial one-on-one save against Son Heung-min, helping City secure vital points in the Premier League title race in May 2024. Guardiola praised Ortega’s performance, stating, “He saves us – otherwise Arsenal are champions. That is the reality. The margins are so tight. The save from Son was incredible. One-on-one, Stefan is one of the best keepers I’ve seen in my life. It’s the German culture – stand up, don’t go down.”

As Ortega concludes his three-and-a-half-year tenure at Manchester City, the team aims to continue their winning streak in the league against Tottenham Hotspur this Sunday. After a series of setbacks, City has bounced back with recent victories against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Galatasaray in the Premier League and Champions League, respectively.

Following their win over Galatasaray, City confirmed their automatic qualification for the Champions League knockout phase. Guardiola expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, remarking, “We’re really pleased to finish in the top eight considering how tough the Champions League has become. Today, every team is really, really tough, and I’m really pleased, and hopefully, we can arrive in March [for the last 16] in our best shape.”

Meanwhile, Ortega will undoubtedly be watching closely as Nottingham Forest prepares to host Crystal Palace this weekend, with Palaces’ manager Oliver Glasner indicating that Mateta will not be part of the matchday squad amid ongoing speculation regarding his future.