Nottingham Forest saw Javi Rueda bid rejected after Celta Vigo manager intervention

Nottingham Forest were willing to invest heavily in a new right-back during the summer transfer window, but their attempt to sign Javi Rueda was ultimately blocked by Celta Vigo.

Celta sporting director Marco Garcés has now explained why the Spanish club rejected Forest's proposal, revealing that manager Claudio Giráldez played a significant role in the decision.

The financial structure of Rueda's ownership also made the offer considerably less attractive than it initially appeared.

Forest explored several options at right-back before eventually completing the signing of Daniel Muñoz from Crystal Palace on August 31.

Rueda was among their main alternatives.

The Premier League club reportedly submitted an offer worth around €15-20m for the 24-year-old on August 26. There were even suggestions an agreement had been reached, only for Celta to ultimately decide against sanctioning the transfer.

Giráldez's desire to keep Rueda proved important.

Garcés explained that although accepting the proposal would have helped Celta financially, losing an important player would have caused greater damage to their sporting ambitions.

"We had a series of offers that would have been more damaging to our sporting project than they would have solved our financial problems," Garcés said.

"It would have provided a sum that would have alleviated the financial situation. It's not an amount that can't be achieved by having a good season in Europe. Claudio's influence on the decision is significant, as it is in all of them."

There was another major consideration behind Celta's decision.

Rueda joined the club from Real Madrid in 2024, but Los Blancos retained 50% of his rights.

That meant Celta would only receive a portion of any transfer fee, significantly reducing the benefit of accepting Forest's proposal.

Garcés suggested the situation might have been very different had Forest reached the €30-40m range.

"If it had been €30m or €40m, then yes," he explained.

"The amount on offer isn't something that can't be replaced by having a good campaign in Europe."

Ultimately, Forest's proposal was not lucrative enough for Celta to sacrifice a player Giráldez considered important.

The Premier League side subsequently moved elsewhere and secured Muñoz, while Rueda remained in Vigo.

Rueda will now remain an important part of Giráldez's plans at Celta, with the club effectively betting that keeping him and enjoying a successful European campaign can be more valuable than accepting Forest's summer offer.

However, Garcés's comments also provide a clear indication of the level at which Celta could reconsider their position. If Rueda continues to develop and Premier League interest returns, a significantly larger proposal could reopen the conversation.

For Nottingham Forest, the immediate need has already been addressed through Muñoz, meaning another pursuit of Rueda would appear unlikely unless their circumstances at right-back change.