Football in Brief: Al-Hasawi close to Forest buyout; Seedorf off to pastures new

Al-Hasawi close to Forest buyout

Reports from Kuwait say the former chairman of a sport club in the Gulf emirate is "finalising the purchase" of Nottingham Forest.

The reports quote an al-Hasawi family statement saying that Fawaz al-Hasawi, the former chairman of Kuwait's Al-Qadsiya Sports Club, plans to "sign contracts with new European and international players once the deal is finalised".

A statement by the directors on the Forest website said the club is in "an exclusive period of negotiation" with investors it identifies as Fawaz, Abdul-Aziz and Omar al-Hasawi "over the potential purchase".

Forest, under Steve Cotterill finished 19th in the Championship last season.

Seedorf off to pastures new

The Brazilian club Botafogo have signed Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf on a two-year contract. Seedorf, above, is expected to be officially introduced next week and will travel to Brazil in the coming days. Seedorf, who is married to a Brazilian, played last season for Milan. The midfielder, 36, played at the 1998 World Cup with the Netherlands and in three European Championships.

In domestic transfer news, West Ham have signed Northern Ireland left-back George McCartney for a third time in six years; Senegal midfielder Mohamed Diame and goalkeepers Jussi Jaaskelainen and Stephen Henderson have also joined West Ham during the off-season.