Juventus have accepted a €25 million offer from Nottingham Forest for Timothy Weah and Samuel Mbangula, paving the way for the duo to make a surprise move to the Premier League this summer.
Weah, who is of Liberian descent and the son of football legend George Weah, and Mbangula, who has Congolese roots, were both omitted from Juventus’ squad for their 5-2 FIFA Club World Cup loss to Manchester City on Thursday.
Their exclusion was quickly linked to ongoing transfer discussions.
Speaking after the match, Juventus head coach Igor Tudor confirmed that the players had been left out due to “market reasons,” offering little further explanation.
Reports from TMW indicate that the €25 million proposal from Forest was swiftly accepted by new Juventus general manager Damien Comolli, but the decision appears to have caught the players by surprise.
Weah’s agent, Badou Sambague, expressed strong disapproval of how the situation has been managed.
Posting on social media, Sambague criticised the club’s motives and treatment of the players.
“Weah is a fantastic player and a fantastic teammate,” he wrote. “Seeing people behave like this for money and selfishness has disappointed me a lot. It’s a shame.”
He added: “In any case, until I’m here, no one can treat one of the players I take care of by sending him left or right like a puppet. I’m happy that Timo has a great education and a personality that allows him to stay focused on the games.”
The move marks an aggressive early push in the transfer market by Forest, who are looking to strengthen their wide options ahead of the new season.
However, the fallout from Juventus’ handling of the transfer is likely to spark further debate as the players prepare for what could be a new chapter in England.
