Nottingham Forest have announced the signing of Ghana captain Andre Ayew on an initial six-month deal.
The 33-year-old joins the Garibaldi on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract with Qatari club Al Sadd.
The Black Stars forward will wear jersey number 42 during his time at the City Ground.
Great to have you here, André. 😁#WelcomeAndré 🇬🇭 pic.twitter.com/8eT5F5zZyY
— Nottingham Forest FC (@NFFC) February 2, 2023
Ayew and head coach Steve Cooper are no strangers to each other, as the former played under the Forest manager at Swansea City.
He had 35 goals and 11 assists in 104 appearances across all competitions under Cooper’s tutelage.
He said: “It’s a great feeling to sign for Nottingham Forest.”
“I know how big the club is and I know how much the club means to the city and the fanbase. It’s always been difficult whenever I’ve played against Forest and at The City Ground and I love the stadium.
“Steve Cooper is someone who knows me very well and knows how to work with me both on and off the pitch. We have a strong relationship, he’s a special coach and a special human being and someone who I really look up to,” the former Swansea forward continued.
“I know what I can bring to the team, I’m ready to give my all and make sure that we are able to stay in the Premier League.”
The former Marseille forward has previously played in the Premier League for Swansea and West Ham, where he joined in the summer of 2016 for a then club-record fee of £20.5 million.
In his first spell at Swansea, he registered 12 goals and five assists in 35 appearances at the Liberty Stadium. He was less impressive with the Hammers, as he only got 12 goals and eight assists in 52 matches in a two-year spell.
Ayew joined Al Sadd in July 2021; he bagged 18 goals and two assists in 28 matches, including 15 goals in 21 league matches as they were crowned Qatar Stars League champions.
The forward has represented Ghana at three World Cups and four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He found the back of the net just one in the 2022 FIFA World Cup as Ghana crashed out of the group stages.
Ayew brings experience to a Forest front line that has an average age of 25 years and joins Chris Wood as the second striker signed by the two-time European Cup winners this window.
