JUST IN: Nottingham Forest confirm transfer of Rio Ave as summer window deadline approaches

Nottingham Forest defender Omar Richards has completed a loan move to Rio Ave.

The left-back will spend the 2024/25 season with the Portuguese side. A statement from the Reds said: “We wish Omar all the best for his loan spell.”

Richards’ switch comes on the back of a loan stint at Olympiacos last term. He made 14 appearances during his time with the Greek outfit as he looked to put an injury nightmare behind him.

The 26-year-old is yet to make his competitive debut in the Garibaldi, two years after he put pen to paper for the club from Bayern Munich. His first year at the City Ground was spent on the sidelines as a hairline fracture of the leg, muscle injuries and a hernia meant he never got out on the pitch.

It was hoped a change of scene, with the switch to Greece 12 months ago, would prove beneficial. A return to Olympiacos had been mooted this summer, but Richards instead joins another member of the Evangelos Marinakis stable of clubs.

An investment by Reds owner Marinakis in Rio Ave was confirmed last November. The Greek businessman put at least 20.5 million euros (£17m) into the club, which it was said would help settle the side’s debts, provide transfer funds for the January window and help with improvements to the stadium and academy.

Trimming numbers has been a priority for Forest this summer as head coach Nuno Espirito Santo prefers to work with a small squad. Further business is expected to be done in the remaining days of the window before it closes at 11pm on August 30.