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Nottingham Forest win unprecedented legal battle over €8m transfer
Tom Weber
- Updated: 31 Jul 2025 18:25 BST
- 4 min read
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Nottingham Forest have come out on top in their transfer dispute with Lyon over the sale of Matt Turner.
The American goalkeeper has found himself embroiled in a bizarre and, given the circumstances, unprecedented saga due to the Ligue 1 side's tumultuous summer. Lyon were initially relegated to Ligue 2 as they failed to sort out their financial problems.
However, the decision was successfully appealed, and Lyon were reinstated. Divisive owner and president John Textor eventually stepped away from managing the club and has been replaced by Michele Kang.
Current ETV
Matt Turner
GK
Nottingham
Matt Turner
GK
Nottingham
ETV Range
€5.9M - €8M
Moreover, the club now operate on a reduced budget and with transfer restrictions going forward. Due to these constraints, Lyon sought to get out of their €8 million deal to sign Turner, whose move was brokered by compatriot Textor before all of this drama.
Lyon hired a lawyer to explore legal avenues of getting out of the agreement with Forest, but L'Equipe reports that these endeavours have proved unsuccessful.
Lyon to sign Turner
According to the French outlet, Lyon's attempts to renege on their agreement with Forest have been deemed illicit, while Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has simply refused to engage.
This means that Lyon will have to formally complete the signing of Turner. However, the USMNT shot-stopper will not play for the club next season and will instead be loaned back to the New England Revolution.
Turner achieved his big breakthrough with the Revs before joining Arsenal in 2022. He will now return to the MLS franchise, who have agreed to cover the entirety of his salary.
MLS transfer insider Tom Bogert has confirmed that the deal is 'heading in the right direction' but made sure to emphasise that it's not completely done yet. Bogert adds that New England weren't the only MLS side to explore a move for the 31-year-old.
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