Eintracht Frankfurt will not be bringing Arnaud Kalimuendo back to the Bundesliga after renewed deadline-day talks over the Nottingham Forest striker ultimately failed to produce an agreement. Kicker reports that the possibility of a return resurfaced shortly before the transfer window closed, but Frankfurt’s priorities during the final hours were focused primarily on completing outgoing business.
The 24-year-old will therefore remain with Nottingham Forest. The decision is particularly noteworthy given Frankfurt’s expected sale of Jean-Mattéo Bahoya to Leeds United. The France U21 international is set to move to the Premier League on a loan containing a mandatory €30m purchase clause, furnishing Eintracht with another substantial piece of outgoing business.
That future income will not be reinvested in Kalimuendo.
Frankfurt decline late Kalimuendo reunion
A second Frankfurt spell for the French striker had remained under consideration throughout the latter stages of the summer window. Get German Football News previously reported that Eintracht were exploring another loan for Kalimuendo after the former Paris Saint-Germain attacker spent the second half of last season at Deutsche Bank Park.
Nottingham’s demands complicated the situation. GGFN subsequently reported that Forest were seeking more than €30m for Kalimuendo, a figure that would have required Frankfurt to make a club-record investment in the striker.
Fresh deadline-day reports suggested another arrangement might still be possible. Ultimately, however, Eintracht concentrated on reducing the squad rather than adding another expensive attacker. No further information about a possible free agent signing of Joselu has emerged yet.
In the meantime, one further outgoing deal has been completed.
Niels Nkounkou is returning to his native France.
Niels Nkounkou leaves again
Nkounkou has joined OGC Nice on loan through the end of the 2026/27 campaign. The Ligue 1 side also possess a purchase option, while the 25-year-old remains under contract with Eintracht through June 2028. The move brings another twist to a Frankfurt career that has repeatedly appeared close to revival.
Eintracht originally paid approximately €7.5m to sign Nkounkou from Saint-Étienne in 2023. The attack-minded left-back initially provided considerable promise and even drew early comparisons with former Frankfurt assist specialist Filip Kostić. Those expectations proved difficult to sustain.
Nathaniel Brown eventually moved ahead of Nkounkou in the hierarchy and Frankfurt began actively searching for a solution during the summer of 2025. The Frenchman nevertheless unexpectedly fought his way back into contention during preseason.
Get German Football News covered Nkounkou earning a fresh audition under Dino Toppmöller after an encouraging training camp. The defender even earned a start in Frankfurt’s opening DFB-Pokal fixture.
The revival proved temporary.
Nkounkou subsequently joined Torino on a complex season-long loan containing a conditional permanent-transfer mechanism. The Serie A spell ultimately did not result in a permanent move and Nkounkou returned to Frankfurt this summer.
Brown departure never truly reopens Nkounkou pathway
There initially appeared to be another possible opening. Brown’s €50m move to Bayern Munich removed Nkounkou’s principal competitor from the previous Frankfurt hierarchy. The Frenchman also participated in preseason after returning from Italy.
Nkounkou nevertheless did not dress for either of Eintracht’s competitive fixtures thus far this year. Despite the fact that the young fullback pairing of Keita Kosugi (left) and Elias Baum (right) have demonstrated some defensive instability, Nkounkou did not receive a fresh audition.
That left another departure as the most logical outcome.
Nice now provide Nkounkou with another opportunity to rebuild his standing in familiar surroundings. The French club’s purchase option also leaves open the possibility that his Frankfurt chapter could end permanently next summer, one year before his current contract expires.
For Eintracht, the move removes another player from a squad that club officials spent the final hours of the window attempting to streamline.
