Unai Emery 'blocked serious money' transfer for Aston Villa youngster as Nottingham Forest waited in wings

Aston Villa reportedly turned down a sizeable bid from Nottingham Forest for their promising defender Lamare Bogarde last summer.

Villa's Premier League rivals were keen to bolster their ranks early in the transfer window, and saw Bogarde as a ideal recruit, but their approach was met with resistance.

Despite Forest's strong interest, Villa rejected their offer for the young Dutchman. Bogarde, only 20, has since made six appearances this season for Unai Emery’s team, including three outings in the Premier League.

It appears Villa boss Emery himself was the one who decided against the switch, claimed Dennie van Laar on Voetbal Primeur’s #DoneDeal podcast: "Emery put a stop to that," he stated.

"They wanted him for €4m to €5m (£3m to £4m), but Emery wanted to keep him at Aston Villa and give him a chance. Forest really had serious money for him. A number of other clubs also showed serious interest in the young talent."

“And Emery has proven to be a man of his word. Bogarde was given his chance, and Villa did not lose a single time in all the matches. I would field him more often.”

Bogarde also attracted attention for a potential loan move from teams in the Championship and overseas. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claimed "many clubs" were eager to acquire the former Bristol Rovers loanee, but a move depended on finding the "right project".

Among the summer deals Forest did pull off was Alex Moreno's loan move from Villa, who has performed sufficiently well to suggest that their option to make it a permanent move could yet be activated.