Preparations for the upcoming campaign will begin in earnest for Nottingham Forest next week.
Reds players will report for pre-season at the Nigel Doughty Academy on Monday. And they will be well aware they have an important month or so ahead.
Forest will go into the 2025/26 term aiming to kick on again. They have European football to look forward to for the first time in three decades and they will want to continue making progress on the domestic front.
For some players, pre-season represents their first time linking up with head coach Nuno Espirito Santo after previously being out on loan. For others, the coming weeks are an opportunity to try to catch the Portuguese’s eye after struggling for game time last time around.
In some cases, what happens during the build-up to the new campaign may have a bearing on what happens next. Transfers (permanent or temporary) may be on the cards for some.
With that in mind, a lot is riding on the upcoming period. Below, NottinghamshireLive takes a look at the players who have a point to prove this summer.
Carlos Miguel
Limited opportunities for the Brazilian during his first year Trentside delivered quite the mixed bag. In his first appearance, against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup last August, he did OK.
But in subsequent outings he didn’t exactly cover himself in glory. So much so that Nuno went from declaring Miguel would be his cup goalkeeper to sticking with Matz Sels when the FA Cup reached its business end.
There will be no overtaking Sels as No.1 but Miguel still has his work cut out in pre-season. Forest may well add to their keeper ranks so his place as first-choice back-up might come under threat.
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Omar Richards
After arriving at the City Ground with a big reputation, will the left-back finally get the opportunity to make an appearance in the Garibaldi? He is yet to do so after three years at the club, and this feels like an important summer for Richards.
He will hope his injury nightmare is now behind him after a couple of loan spells. Stints with Olympiacos and Rio Ave in the last couple of seasons provided an opportunity for the defender to build up form and fitness.
It can be quite the jump to the rigours of the Premier League, though. Still, pre-season is a chance for Richards to try to force his way into Nuno’s plans.
Tyler Bindon
There is little doubt the highly-rated centre-back has a bright future ahead of him. He will link up with Forest for the first time having been tipped for big things.
He will still want to show what he can do, though, and demonstrate he has the potential to make it Trentside eventually. As a (sort of) newcomer, having been loaned back to Reading following his winter deadline day move, the New Zealander will no doubt be eager to impress Nuno.
A decision will need to be made about his future at some point. The Reds must weigh up whether to keep the 20-year-old around or oversee another loan move.
Ibrahim Sangare
The midfielder ended last season in fine form. He pinned down a place in the starting XI during the run-in and stood out during what proved to be a tricky period for Nuno’s men.
Forest will hope he can pick up where he left off as the new season approaches. For his part, Sangare will surely be eager to prove he can maintain such levels. He arrived from PSV Eindhoven two years ago with a big reputation and now has the look of being the player Forest hoped they had signed.
Keeping his spot in the line-up is not a given, though. The competition will be fierce.
Marko Stamenic
As with fellow New Zealander Bindon, the midfielder is yet to have the opportunity to work with Nuno Trentside. After putting pen to paper at the City Ground last summer, he immediately headed out on loan to fellow Evangelos Marinakis-owned side Olympiacos.
What happens next for Stamenic is uncertain. As mentioned above in the case of Sangare, there will be competition for places in the centre of the pitch.
But whereas Sangare has already demonstrated to Nuno what he can do, Stamenic is almost starting from scratch. It could be a big pre-season for the 23-year-old.
Jota Silva
There is a question mark over whether the winger will still be at Forest by the time the window closes. Those close to the player have dismissed reports linking him with a move to Turkey, but Sporting Lisbon have now been credited with an interest in him.
Jota didn’t play as much as he probably would have liked last season. And with the Reds likely to strengthen out wide, it remains to be seen what the future holds.
Whether he is to remain on the banks of the Trent or go elsewhere, though, he will want to have a good summer. He will want to show there is more about him than Forest got to see last time around.
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