Football: Nottingham Forest agree deal with Roy: Foggia's Dutchman set for City Ground as Clark prepares to break club record

NOTTINGHAM FOREST added substance to their Premiership potential yesterday when they agreed personal terms with Bryan Roy, Foggia's much-admired Dutch winger, writes Henry Winter.

'We have still to agree a fee with Foggia,' Frank Clark, manager of the newly promoted Midlands club, said. 'We seem to have done things the wrong way round but the club were happy for us to talk to Bryan. I was looking for someone who can play wide with penetration and pace. That will allow us to carry on playing with just one man up front. Brian fits the bill perfectly.'

A Johan Cruyff discovery, Roy illuminated his Ajax debut at 17 by dribbling around three FC Twente defenders before scoring. For the past 18 months, Roy, an accountant's son, has been been catching the eye in Italy; Clark will need to break Forest's club- record outlay of pounds 2.2m (for Stan Collymore) to secure the 24-year-old, currently awaiting his second World Cup tour of duty. 'Bryan is a world-class player,' Clark added. 'The fact that he has agreed to join us is a remarkable coup on our part.'

Roy chose Forest ahead of Parma, Napoli and Internazionale because he had been 'enormously impressed by the attitude shown by people at the club'.

Brian Laudrup may follow Roy from Serie A to Britain. The Danish international, loaned out by Fiorentina to Milan last season, is close to joining Rangers. 'I was

impressed by the club conditions,' Laudrup said yesterday of his tour around Ibrox. 'I've never been in a place where there is such an atmosphere and soccer history.'

Bradford City, who yesterday completed the transfer of their striker Graeme Tomlinson to Manchester United for pounds 100,000 (plus half any future deal), have rejected a players-plus-cash offer worth pounds 1m from Wolves for another of their young players, the central defender Dean Richards. Ian Taylor, the pounds 1m- rated Port Vale midfielder being tracked by Wolves, yesterday held talks with West Ham.