Nuno Espirito Santo has performed above expectations with Nottingham Forest this season, with the club’s summer transfer window proving a key factor.
Centre-back Nikola Milenkovic has been a particular standout, displaying just why as he scored the equalising goal in Forest’s win over Aston Villa.
Milenkovic isn’t the only signing that has shone, with Elliot Anderson praised by Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer since his move from Newcastle in the summer, contributing five assists already for his new side.
The Serbian defender has certainly caught the most attention, though. Milenkovic signed for Forest from Fiorentina in July and has curated a list of admirers since his arrival to the Premier League, with Jamie Carragher impressed by Milenkovic amongst others.
His remarkable ability has left some wondering how Forest had such a clear run at signing Milenkovic, but further details about the signing have revealed how diligent Evangelos Marinakis was in the pursuit of his star signing.
How Nottingham Forest found ‘ruthlessly efficient’ Nikola Milenkovic
In a report by The Telegraph, Forest’s recruitment strategy has been given much praise, with the story of the Milenkovic deal right at the heart of the achievements.
The report said: “Milenkovic quickly emerged as Forest’s No 1 target in the position over the summer for two key reasons: they conceded a league-high 22 goals from set-pieces last season, while Milenkovic won the most aerial duels in Serie A.
“The plan was also to recruit a right-sided defender who could play alongside Murillo, and Milenkovic’s performance in the Europa Conference League final against another Marinakis club, Olympiacos, pressed Forest into action.”
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Combining analytical processes with seeing Milenkovic in the flesh clearly paid off for the club, given how perfectly the Serbian has complemented the Forest squad.
Kelvin Wilson praised Milenkovic’s defensive set-piece work, further emphasising how clever Marinakis’ team had been in highlighting Milenkovic’s key attributes.
Alongside the story of the scouting process, the report revealed a piece of information about the Milenkovic deal that has been the subject of much debate since he arrived at the City Ground.
Nikola Milenkovic of Nottingham Forest celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 1-1 during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and...
Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
How much Nottingham Forest paid for Milenkovic revealed
Upon initial contact, Forest were told to pay £20m for Milenkovic by Fiorentina, which Marinakis was evidently able to negotiate down to a more acceptable fee for Forest.
When the deal was official in July, it seemed that Forest paid £12m for Milenkovic, but the Telegraph report has now suggested that the fee was even lower.
The report suggests that Milenkovic was “signed for just £10m from Fiorentina”, making the deal that already looked to be a bargain even better value.
With Milenkovic helping Forest climb to fourth in the Premier League table, fans of the club can hail Marinakis and his team for what may be one of the best signings of recent seasons.
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