Nottingham Forest prepare £40m-plus bid for Everton teenager Harrison Armstrong

Nottingham Forest have tabled a reported offer of £40m plus a possible sell-on clause to sign Everton midfielder Harrison Armstrong as the transfer window nears its close on 29 August 2026. The bid, reported by The Athletic and described as ambitious, targets the 19-year-old England under-19 prospect who has broken into Everton’s first team this season.

Forest are said to be keen to strengthen before the end of the window and hope the package will be enough to prise Armstrong away from Goodison Park. It would be a major surprise if Everton agreed to sell such a highly regarded youth prospect, but sources at Forest believe the club can complete the move. There are, however, no indications yet that Everton will accept an approach for the teenager.

Armstrong, 19, has made 23 appearances for Everton and started in their 2-0 Premier League win against Crystal Palace last week. He is described in the report as an elegant player with a big future, and supporters regard him as the club’s brightest home-grown prospect for years. That status is central to the intense reaction among Everton’s fanbase to any suggestion the club might part with him.

The Athletic’s account warns the Friedkin Group, Everton’s American owners, would risk the fury of supporters should they sanction a sale of Armstrong. Reaction among fans to the prospect of his departure has been reported as disbelief and anger, reflecting the player’s standing at the club. Forest’s interest is presented as real, with the potential transfer characterised as a significant coup if it were to be achieved.

Manager David Moyes has been publicly frustrated by Everton’s limited incoming activity this summer and made clear after Wednesday’s 4-0 Carabao Cup second-round win at Championship side Preston that he wanted reinforcements. Moyes had hoped the Friedkin Group would provide backing for further arrivals, the report says. Since that game, Everton’s key creator Iliman Ndiaye has been heavily linked with Manchester City, and Forest’s approach for Armstrong is framed as a new test of the club’s transfer resolve.

How Everton handle Nottingham Forest’s approach for Harrison Armstrong is flagged as potentially pivotal for both the Friedkin Group and David Moyes. The report concludes the manner of the club’s response could be a defining moment for their transfer strategy and squad-building plans.