Nottingham Forest defender Zach Abbott has signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2030 before heading to Southampton on loan for the 2026/27 season.
The 20-year-old enjoyed an important breakthrough last season, making his Premier League debut and featuring seven times in the Europa League as Nottingham Forest reached the semi-finals.
Zach Abbott also made his England Under-20 debut and captained the Young Lions against Italy in March.
Zach Abbott gets chance at Southampton
The centre-back has been around the first-team squad throughout pre-season and was on the bench for Forest’s first two Premier League matches this season.
Now, he will spend the campaign with Championship side Southampton as he looks for more regular minutes.
Zach Abbott joined the Forest academy in 2017 at just 11 years old and has worked his way through the club’s age groups. He was also part of the first Forest youth team to reach the FA Youth Cup final in May 2022.
Forest have now added another year to his contract while allowing him to continue his development away from the City Ground.
Speaking about the new deal, Abbott said,
“I had memorable experiences last year that have given me even more hunger to improve and continue my development. This club has been my home for nearly 10 years, and I have a big sense of pride every time I pull on the shirt.”
Zach Abbot has shown he can make the jump from the academy into the senior setup. Now the hope will be that a season at Southampton brings even more progress.
