Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is firmly focused on matters on the pitch but an important January transfer window is drawing ever closer for Nottingham Forest.
The Reds have made a fine start to the Premier League season as they aim to kick on this time around. And they will be well aware that overseeing key deals in the new year could make a big difference to their ambitions of pushing up the table.
Excellent business done in the summer has left the club in a good place and requiring only minimal work in January. Below, we look at Forest’s three top tasks for the winter window.
Sign a striker
Bolstering Nuno Espirito Santo’s attacking resources was on the agenda in the summer. But despite a number of forwards being on the Reds’ radar, they did not manage to get a deal over the line.
January can be a notoriously tricky window for getting value for money in any signing. Selling clubs know they can push prices up as they seek to capitalise on rivals’ desperation.
Strikers come at a premium at the best of times, and finding one with guaranteed goals in their locker is not always easy. Forest could really do with strengthening this department, though, and seeking out a goalscoring gem.
Chris Wood has been doing a terrific job and is now out in front as the club’s all-time top scorer in the Premier League. But with Taiwo Awoniyi yet to really get going, having another option at the top end of the pitch would be incredibly valuable for Nuno. The Reds do not want to be left short if injuries or suspensions hit.
A case could be made for waiting until the summer to splash out big on this area, so could a stop-gap signing be a consideration? It is a fine balancing act to strike.
Contracts sorted
Speaking of Wood, sorting his contract situation must be near the top of Forest’s to-do list. The same for Ola Aina.
Discussions have taken place with both, and the signs are certainly positive over the chances of the duo extending their stays Trentside. The club are definitely keen to get them tied down, acknowledging they are two integral players in Nuno’s side - both on and off the pitch.
But the sooner pen gets put to paper where the duo are concerned, the better. As it stands, Wood and Aina would be free agents at the end of the campaign - and other clubs will be aware of that fact as January nears. Indeed, not so long ago reports suggested Roma and AC Milan were keeping an eye on Aina’s situation.
Able to play on the right or the left, the defender has been a model of consistency during his time at the City Ground. Meanwhile, Wood’s goals have been crucial.
Willy Boly and Harry Toffolo are the other members of the first-team squad coming towards the end of their contracts. However, so far there has been no suggestion they will stay on.
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Premier League
Double departure
Cutting numbers was a priority for the club in the summer, and they got through a lot of work in that respect. Nuno prefers to manage a small squad and he got his wish by the time the window closed in August.
There is very little fat left to be trimmed in January. Just as in the summer, Forest will be eager to hang on to their star men - after all Nuno has attributed his team’s impressive start to the season to having retained the core of the dressing room. Nevertheless, the winter window may well see a few exits.
Midfielder Lewis O’Brien’s spell Trentside seems likely to come to an end. His loan at Los Angeles FC officially expires on December 31 and he is said to have caught the eye of a few potential suitors.
Meanwhile, the Reds will be keen to oversee a departure for Emmanuel Dennis. The attacker was left off the 25-man squad list for the first half of the campaign so trying to find a January move would suit all parties.
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