A swap deal could work out well for both Nottingham Forest and Brentford this summer
Nottingham Forest and Brentford both enjoyed outstanding seasons in 2024/25, far exceeding expectations and giving fans memories which they will hold onto for a long time.
Forest secured European football for the first time in 30 years, in an incredibly consistent season which just tailed off slightly at the end as they had to settle for a Conference League place. While Brentford finished 10th, boasted two of the league’s top five goal scorers and were in with an outside chance of European qualification until the last day of the season.
Both sides have had to contend with firm interest in some of their star names this summer. Brentford had to part ways with manager Thomas Frank, arguably the most devastating departure of them all, while captain Christian Norgaard has left and Bryan Mbeumo looks set to follow. Forest have held onto their star names for now, but departures are expected to be imminent for both Anthony Elanga and Morgan Gibbs-White after fees were agreed with Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur respectively.
Nottingham Forest and Brentford swap deal could stun the Premier League
Nottingham Forest are in need of another striking option this summer, with Chris Wood turning 34 in December and multiple key attacking players set to depart in the coming days.
Yoane Wissa has been a target for Forest in the past but they saw a £25m bid rejected in January. They would need to return with a much better offer this time around, but interest in 28-year-old Wissa still remains according to various outlets including Mail Online and the Brentford man may be tempted by the prospect of playing European football.
The Bees reportedly value Wissa at £50m and will likely stick by their valuation, amidst rival interest from Frank’s new employers Spurs. Forest will have money to spend but may still deem this to be a steep price. They could include Taiwo Awoniyi as part of a deal to decrease the transfer fee and offer Brentford a striker replacement to give Forest an advantage over rivals in negotiations.
Yoane Wissa and Taiwo Awoniyi could trade places in huge swap deal
If Wissa is to depart in addition to Mbeumo, Brentford will be in dire need of a Premier League-proven striker of the mould of Awoniyi. The Nigerian played a key role in Forest’s survival in 2022/23, with 10 goals in what was his debut Premier League season including a winner against Arsenal which secured Forest’s safety.
Awoniyi will feel he has a point to prove after losing his place to 20-goal Wood last season, but any interested parties will be aware that he remains out injured after a serious abdominal injury sustained in May against Leicester City. Awoniyi was placed in an induced coma for surgery after the incident, where he crashed against the post after a clear offside was allowed by the officials to develop into a goalmouth incident.
It is believed that the 27-year-old’s recovery is going well and he will hope to be back in action at some point next season. That could be with Brentford if a stunning swap deal is negotiated. With Wissa valued at £50m, an offer of Awoniyi plus around £35m could be enough to persuade Brentford to sell.
Continue Reading