Bristol City, Stoke, and Sunderland linked midfielder joins League One club

Oxford United have signed forward Ateef Konate on a loan deal from Nottingham Forest until the end of the season.

Konate, was linked with a move to the Championship with Bristol City, Stoke City and later Sunderland considered potential destinations for the attacking midfielder.

It is League One that Konate is heading to, however after Oxford won the race to sign the 21-year-old. He will depart the City Ground for the first time since joining in September 2020, with the Reds hoping that this move will help him develop, before a return back to the Premier League outfit in the summer.

“I am really looking forward to it,” said Konate after his move to the Kassam Stadium. I have been made to feel very welcome and it’s a great club.

“I want to play games, score my first goal and help the team and I know there are two home games this week so I am really looking forward to training and then being a part of it.”

Konate made three senior appearances for Forest, after making his debut in August 2021, and had most recently been playing Under-21 football for the Midlands side. As for the Robin’s stance, it was quickly made clear that they would not be a destination for the youngster. Konate is an attacking midfielder, which is the role that Alex Scott can play, whilst Andi Weimann has also been played there over the last season-and-a-half.

"Not as far as I know,” said Pearson at the start of January, when asked about interest in Konate. “He’s not somebody that I’m aware we’ve got any interest over.”