Nottingham Forest will be back in pre-season training in a few weeks, ready to gear up for a season playing European football.
Igor Jesus is set to sign for Forest, and he might be joined by other players when the time comes for the players to report back to the City Ground.
Nuno Espirito Santo knows that his squad might look somewhat bloated when the players return to action, with last season’s loan players likely to return as new clubs are sought.
Players like Lewis O’Brien and Josh Bowler featured for a few weeks of pre-season last season, and that might well be the case again ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Omar Richards wins the Europa League with Olympiacos
Photo by Boris Streubel – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Omar Richards to leave Nottingham Forest again
A report by A Bola has delivered an update on the future of Forest defender Richards, with the defender yet to play a competitive game for the Reds.
They believe that the man signed for £8.5 million from Bayern Munich will remain at Rio Ave for next season.
It makes no claim as to whether the deal is another temporary loan or a permanent deal, but once again, it appears a chance at Forest has passed him by.
Richards was expected to stake a claim for a place when he first arrived from the Bundesliga, but had a torrid time with injuries.
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He fractured his leg before signing for Forest, with the problem slipping under the radar during the medical and then had to have a hernia operation in the same season.
Richards can count himself unlucky at Forest
Had Forest been relegated at the end of their first season back in the Premier League, Richards might have been perfect for the Championship.
However, he’s been unable to get a chance to prove his fitness, with Forest always boasting decent options at left-back.
With Richards unlikely to get a chance to shine in the future, the hope will be that a permanent transfer can be announced after he links up with Rio Ave for training.
Forest have outgrown Richards, and it’s important, after his injury troubles, that he simply continues playing regular football, and he did extremely well last year in Portugal.