The Midlands club were hit with the punishment in March as a result of breaching the competition's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) but have been unsuccessful in their attempts to reduce the sanction.

Forest had appealed as they felt the sale of Brennan Johnson to Tottenham for more than £45 million last September - two months after the conclusion of the financial year ending 2023 - should have been taken into account as a mitigating factor and they also believed that the original commission made an error by not wholly or partially suspending the penalty.

The decision means that Nuno Espirito Santo's team remain in 17th position in the table, three points above the relegation places with two matches left to play.

A statement published on the Premier League website read: "The club argued that the independent commission committed an error in not treating its sale of a high-profile player shortly after the assessment period as a mitigating factor, and that it committed a further error in electing not to suspend some or all of the points deduction it imposed.

"Each of these grounds was rejected by the appeal board, which found the independent commission was entitled to immediately impose the sanction it did. The four-point deduction will therefore remain in place."

Forest have not commented on the appeal verdict.