MX23RW : Thursday, March 28 20:36:46| >> :120:3883:3883:

Nottingham Forest chairman Fawaz Al-Hasawi defends player sales

Nottingham Forest owner Fawaz Al-Hasawi explains his decision to sell two key players behind manager Stuart Pearce's back.

Nottingham Forest owner Fawaz Al-Hasawi has defended his decision to sell two key players without consulting manager Stuart Pearce.

Pearce claimed on Tuesday that he was in need of answers after it was reported that Jamaal Lascelles and Karl Darlow were close to joining Newcastle United.

The duo are thought to be on the verge of moving to St James' Park for £7m, though it is understood that they will be loaned back to Forest for the upcoming season.

While admitting that "difficult decisions have to be made", Al-Hasawi insists that the proposed moves will be of financial benefit to the club if they are completed.

"The manager has been informed about the proposed sale of Karl and Jamaal and he was aware of the negotiations. The business side of football is changing and the requirement to increase revenue means, unfortunately, difficult decisions have to be made," he said in an official statement.

"As Stuart mentioned in his media interview, I have always backed him financially and that will continue. I respect him greatly and I strongly believe together we can achieve our aims and bring success back to this great club.

"Should the pair's proposed move to Newcastle be completed as expected, the transfer fees will significantly help us meet the stringent Financial Fair Play criteria, all the while allowing us to retain two high-quality players for the 2014-15 season, paying nothing towards their wages."

Despite an apparent misunderstanding between Al-Hasawi and Pearce, the Forest boss has made it clear that he does not intend to leave the club.

ID:169650: cacheID:169650:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2811:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Jamaal Lascelles of Nottingham Forest celebrates scoring Forest's 1st goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Queens Park Rangers and Nottingham Forest at Loftus Road on April 12, 2014
Read Next:
Newcastle closing in on Forest pair?
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal28204470244664
2Liverpool28197265263964
3Manchester CityMan City28196363283563
4Aston Villa29175760421856
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs28165759421753
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd28152113939047
7West Ham UnitedWest Ham2912894650-444
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2811985044642
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves28125114244-241
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle281241259481140
11Chelsea27116104745239
12Fulham29115134344-138
13Bournemouth2898114152-1135
14Crystal Palace2878133348-1529
15Brentford2975174154-1326
16Everton2887132939-1025
17Luton TownLuton2957174260-1822
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2967163551-1621
19Burnley2945202963-3417
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2835202474-5014


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!