Nottingham Forest are working on an ambitious deal to sign Everton academy graduate Harrison Armstrong for a fee of around £40 million. The East Midlands club are pushing to add much-needed strength in midfield for Oliver Glasner before the transfer deadline, with the 19-year-old viewed as an ideal long-term fit for their revamped squad.

Tricky Trees begin talks

As per The Athletic, Forest are attempting to complete a move for the 19-year-old midfielder in a package worth about £40 million, including future sell-on clauses. Armstrong, who is under contract at Goodison Park until June 2028, has already gained useful senior-level experience after making 22 first-team appearances for the Toffees. After earlier Championship loan spells with Derby County and Preston North End, David Moyes integrated him firmly into the senior setup earlier this year.

Armstrong catches the eye amid growing interest

The East Midlands side are in need of extra options in the middle of the park after Elliot Anderson left for Manchester City in a huge £116 million transfer earlier this summer. Although Austria international Xaver Schlager has already played in the first two league matches following his free transfer from RB Leipzig, the coaching staff are still keen to increase depth in that area.

Armstrong has made an impressive start to the 2026-27 season, starting both competitive matches under Moyes. He made an impact on the opening Premier League weekend by assisting Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's opener in a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace, and then kept his place in Everton's emphatic 4-0 Carabao Cup second-round victory against Preston.

Toffees dealing with midfield reshuffle

The talks over the teenager come at a time when Everton's midfield department is undergoing major structural changes in the current transfer market. Moyes has reshaped that area by bringing in Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough and Christian Norgaard from Arsenal. The Goodison Park club have also turned German midfielder Merlin Rohl's move into a permanent one after the end of his initial loan spell from Freiburg.

Deadline-day pressure increases

Both clubs are working against the clock to strike a complete agreement before the Premier League transfer window closes on Tuesday, September 1, at 23:00 BST. Forest want to wrap up their summer transfer activity after already signing Steven Banda, Ousmane Diomande and Liam Delap, in addition to Schlager. Resolving Armstrong's future before the deadline would also bring clarity over his first-team development ahead of the autumn international break.