The transfer wrangle around Givairo Read is becoming increasingly serious. According to Voetbal International, Feyenoord and the 19-year-old right-back are now directly at odds after the Rotterdam club firmly rejected Nottingham Forest's third bid as well.
Nottingham Forest submitted a third offer which, including bonuses, could rise to €21 million. Read's camp believed that would bring Feyenoord to the table, but technical director Dévy Rigaux again kept the door shut.
In VI's view, that marks a striking shift from the previous club leadership. Former general and technical director Dennis te Kloese is said to have told Read's entourage that a fee of around €25 million would be enough to open talks over a move.
Rigaux's arrival has shelved that agreement, however. The new technical director does not feel bound by those earlier assurances and is reportedly demanding at least €30 million for the talented defender, according to Algemeen Dagblad.
That has left Read's camp baffled, as they believe the club are rowing back on earlier signals. The right-back is also open to a transfer. He sees the Premier League as the ideal next step, with Nottingham Forest ready to hand him a five-year contract.
His injury history is also shaping that thinking. Last season he missed months with two hamstring injuries and, because of that, he knows a chance to make a top transfer does not automatically come around again. That is precisely why he sees a move to England as an outstanding opportunity.
Feyenoord take a very different view. The club see Read as one of the absolute pillars for the new season. Head coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst is counting heavily on the right-back and is even said to be considering making him captain.
What happens next is the big question. Nottingham Forest will have to come back with a substantially improved bid to change Feyenoord's mind, while Read hopes the club will still take into account the expectations that, according to his entourage, were previously created. For now, player and club appear to be directly at odds.
Read also: 'Feyenoord must still let Read go because of Te Kloese's painful legacy'