Nottingham Forest have triggered the €18 million release clause for Colombian midfielder Gustavo Puerta. The club will immediately loan the 23-year-old to Greek side Olympiakos for the 2026/27 season.
Bayer Leverkusen are set to receive a significant €8.5 million windfall from the transfer. This is due to a 50 percent sell-on clause they retained when selling Puerta to Racing Santander for just €1 million last year. Racing Santander's profit on the €18 million sale is €17 million, meaning half of that profit flows back to the German club.
The financial mechanics of this deal are complex. Leverkusen originally signed Puerta from Bogotá FC for around €1 million in January 2023. After loan spells at 1. FC Nürnberg and Hull City, they sold him to Racing Santander in 2025 for the same €1 million fee. The key detail was the insertion of a 50 percent profit-share clause on any future sale. Kicker confirmed the clause, stating, "Nottingham are preparing to trigger the €18m release clause in the Colombian midfielder’s contract with the Spanish club." This foresight has now paid off handsomely for Leverkusen.
Puerta is not expected to feature for Nottingham Forest in the immediate future. The plan is for him to develop with regular playing time at Olympiakos this season. Forest's current midfield options will be assessed against their early Premier League form. After two games, the team sits 15th with one point, having scored two goals and conceded three.
The transfer activity comes as Forest look to build a squad capable of moving up the table. Their start has been challenging, with a draw and a loss leaving them five points behind early leaders Manchester City. The need for squad depth and future planning is clear, and the Puerta deal appears to be a long-term investment. The club's current position and goal difference of -1 can be tracked on our standings page.
Gustavo Puerta will now join Olympiakos for the entirety of the coming campaign. The immediate focus for Forest is preparing for the Tottenham fixture, which presents an opportunity to climb from 15th place. The full details of the squad available for that match are listed on our squad page. The final detail of the transfer is the immediate loan move to Greece, which was arranged concurrently with the triggering of the release clause.
