Latest Nottingham Forest verdict as important January transfer window looms for the Reds
08:00, 19 Oct 2025
Sarah Clapson is Nottingham Forest correspondent for NottinghamshireLive and the Nottingham Post. She has covered the Reds since 2015, having joined the Post the previous year. Being involved in the coverage of everything from Evangelos Marinakis’ takeover of the club to Forest winning promotion at Wembley, she has followed the team up and down the country, as well as abroad, to report on the latest goings-on.
Nottingham Forest's Willy Boly
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Nottingham Forest's Willy Boly(Image: Getty)
Getting key players tied to new deals has been an important strategy for Nottingham Forest this year, but important contract calls are never too far away.
Morgan Gibbs-White, Ola Aina, Neco Williams and Callum Hudson-Odoi all put pen to paper on fresh terms for the Reds in the summer. Murillo and Chris Wood had done the same back in January.
A fair few members of the squad, therefore, are committed to the club for the long-term. But Forest do have a few players with only a few months left to run on their current deals.
For players due to be out of contract in the summer, January can often present a significant juncture. If new terms are not going to be forthcoming, clubs weigh up whether to sell players rather than risk losing them for free a few months later. Below, NottinghamshireLive takes a look at the situations of those Reds due to see their deals expire in 2026.
Angus Gunn
The summer signing has already indicated he will consider seeking a move away in the winter window. He is yet to make an appearance for Forest and finds himself third-choice goalkeeper behind Matz Sels and John Victor.
Gunn’s situation at the City Ground is unlikely to change any time soon. The only minutes he is getting at the moment are for Scotland.
The Reds might not relish the prospect of searching for another keeper any time soon, but a move away seems likely for the 29-year-old. “The thing for me, it’s not a long-term contract, so there’s definitely options, even in January, to possibly reconsider,” Gunn recently said.
Omar Richards
The defender was viewed as a big signing when he joined from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022 as part of the recruitment drive following promotion. In all likelihood, he will leave without making a single competitive appearance in the Garibaldi.
Injuries have hampered Richards’ time Trentside. He is currently on loan at fellow Evangelos Marinakis-owned outfit Rio Ave.
This is the 27-year-old’s second loan stint in Portugal. Whether he stays there or moves on, a Forest farewell beckons.
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Willy Boly
The centre-back penned a one-year contract extension in the summer to keep him at the City Ground until 2026. Minutes will almost certainly be hard to come by this term, but he remains an important member of the squad.
Boly has featured twice for the Reds so far this term, starting against Swansea City and coming off the bench against Real Betis. He can do a job when called upon and the experience he has to offer can make a difference in the dressing room.
He is 34, though, so chances are another new deal is unlikely. But whether the club would be prepared to let him go midway through the campaign is another matter.
Oleksandr Zinchenko
Forest signed the full-back on loan from Arsenal on deadline day in the summer. He is due to spend the season at the City Ground.
It has been somewhat of a mixed start to life Trentside for the Ukrainian. He has had some positive moments but has also struggled at times.
The Reds will hope to have Ola Aina back available by the turn of the year, while Cuiabano is due to return to the club from his loan spell with Botafogo then. That will boost Forest’s left-back options and mean competition for Zinchenko.
Douglas Luiz
A conditional obligation to buy is included in the Juventus loanee’s deal with the Reds. Reports from Italy have claimed the midfielder playing 45 minutes or more in 15 Premier League matches will trigger that particular clause and spark a €25 million (£21.5m) switch.
The move to the banks of the Trent is an opportunity for Luiz to get back on track after a tough time in Italy following his big-money move from Aston Villa. He has shown what he can do in the Premier League before and it didn’t take him long to catch the eye in a Forest shirt.
It is early days in his spell, but Luiz has already demonstrated he can be an important player for the Reds. Continue in the same way and snapping him up permanently would be a good bit of business.
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