Nottingham Forest WINS race to sign Andre Ayew on contract until the end of the season

Nottingham Forest have won the race to sign Ghanaian legend Andre Ayew as Everton continued to fire blanks in the transfer market.

Ayew was of interest to Everton in the closing stages of the January transfer window when sporting director Kevin Thelwell held initial talks with the striker.

Sportsmail exclusively revealed on Wednesday that Ayew had flown to London to seal his Premier League return at either Goodison Park or the City Ground.

And after talks with Forest Chiefs and head coach Steve Cooper yesterday, Ayew was quick to make a move to the Midlands his priority.

He underwent a medical yesterday and will be on a short-term contract until the end of the season, subject to work permit approval.

Nottingham Forest have beaten Everton to sign legendary Ghanaian striker Andre Ayew, 33

Ayew signs a deal until the end of the season after working with Steve Cooper at Swansea

Clearance to play in England again may not be a formality as Ayew has not played in a top flight since 2019.

However, Diego Costa was released for Wolves earlier this season after an appeal against a work permit in similar circumstances.

Ayew’s relationship with Cooper, who has worked with the Swansea manager, was a key factor in his decision to join Forest.

Everton appeared in pole position to land Ayew following this week’s talks, but their indecisiveness allowed Forest to sneak in.

Ayew is a free agent, which means he can still join a new club despite the transfer window closing.

Sportsmail revealed yesterday how he was awarded a £2.5million golden handshake by former club Al-Sadd to mutually terminate his contract which saw him return to England.

Ayew had joined the Qatar side in July 2021 and signed a two-year deal with an option for a further 12 months, worth £5million per season after tax.

He had just five more games to play to trigger the 12-month extension that would have taken him to the end of next season.

However, the striker was keen to explore a return to Europe and reached a mutual financial contractual settlement.

Ayew received a £2.5million golden handshake from Al-Sadd to mutually terminate his contract