Nottingham Forest have completed the signing of Norwich City defender Andrew Omobamidele in a deal that could rise to £20m. 

The 20-year-old defender left City's team hotel in Rotherham late on Friday night to dart to Nottingham to complete the move in time. He was due to form part of David Wagner's squad for tomorrow's game.

Omobamidele has signed a long-term deal at the City Ground and becomes the Canaries' latest major departure after Max Aarons joined Bournemouth and Milot Rashica left to join Besiktas. 

Both clubs agreed to submit a deal sheet to the Premier League to force the deal over the line after a late agreement following intense talks throughout the day between the two clubs. 

AC Milan have displayed interest throughout the summer along with other Premier League clubs - but Forest's persistence to do a deal ensured they won the race for the highly-rated defender. 

Norwich stuck to their asking price and believe they have secured a fair deal for a player who is yet to start a game in the Championship this season and has been behind Shane Duffy and Ben Gibson in the pecking order. 

The Pink Un: Andrew Omobamidele made 55 appearances for Norwich City. Andrew Omobamidele made 55 appearances for Norwich City. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

With limited minutes and no guarantee of his game-time increasing, the fear from Norwich's side was that his value would begin to depreciate over time. 

The Irish international signed for Norwich from hometown club Leixlip United in 2018 and rose through the Canaries' youth ranks before making his debut in 2021. 

He made 55 appearances for Norwich, with five coming in the Premier League. Omobamidele was part of the side who won promotion to the top-flight under Daniel Farke in 2021. 

Speaking after the deal was confirmed, City's sporting director Stuart Webber told club channels: “This is a deal that comes at the right time for all parties. Andrew is a player with an enormous amount of potential. We're really proud of the work that both Andrew himself and our academy and first-team coaching staff have put in to help get him to this stage.

"To have been part of our title-winning squad and have captained the side at such a young age is testament to his character and work ethic.

"We all look forward to watching him flourish in this next step of his career. He and his family will always be welcome back at the Lotus Training Centre and Carrow Road."

Forest’s Chief Football Officer, Ross Wilson told their channels: “Andrew has attracted considerable attention since his emergence at Norwich City, already experiencing Premier League, Championship and international football.

“He is one of the most exciting young defenders in the country at this time and we are delighted to welcome him to the club.”