Nottingham Forest have submitted a bid to sign Benfica defender Morato, but a new report has revealed that he is protected by a big-money release clause.
Who is Morato?
Morato is naturally a centre-back who has plied his trade at the Estadio Da Luz since 2019 having initially joined the club’s academy setup from Sao Paulo, but since getting promoted to the first team in 2021, he’s made a total of 51 senior appearances under Roger Schmidt.
Despite still having another four years to run on his contract with the Primeira Liga outfit, the 22-year-old’s performances at the highest level have clearly impressed Steve Cooper who is now considering a late move to bring him to the Premier League.
With Steve Cook having joined Championship side Queens Park Rangers for an undisclosed fee, not to mention that Felipe is currently undergoing a spell on the sidelines with a knee injury, the boss will have to enter the market to find reinforcements at the heart of his backline, with Brazil’s youth international being identified as an ideal candidate.
Are Nottingham Forest signing Morato?
According to Portuguese outlet Mais Futebol (via Sport Witness), Nottingham Forest have “made” a €30m (£25m) offer for Morato and have “joined the race” to secure his services.
Benfica have “no big interest” in selling their prized asset and are definitely under no pressure to let him go due to his €100m (£85m) release clause, but it’s stated that they are to have a “concrete position” to evaluate the proposal.
Therefore, Reds chiefs may find that they could have to significantly increase their bid should they want any chance of prising their target away or risk losing out on him for good.
How big is Morato?
Standing at 6 foot 3, Morato is an absolute colossus at the back for Benfica and holds a real physical presence in ground and aerial duels, so should he sign on the dotted line between now and the end of the window, Cooper could be getting his hands on a fantastic defender for Nottingham Forest.
The Reds target, who is naturally left-footed, averaged 2.1 aerial wins and two clearances per league game last season, alongside recording a 90.3% pass success rate, via WhoScored, which was higher than any of the regular starters managed in the Midlands, displaying his calmness and composure on the ball when pushing up the pitch.
Schmidt’s giant also has the ability to impact the game at the opposite end of the pitch having posted nine goal contributions (seven goals and two assists) in 110 appearances since the start of his career, with his all-round game making him the “complete” centre-back, as hailed by football talent scout Jacek Kulig,
Finally, Morato shares the same agent, Bertolucci Sports, as both Felipe and Danilo, so this existing connection that his representative already has to the club could possibly give the hierarchy a small advantage should they continue to pursue a deal for the giant before September 1st.
