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A look at Nottingham Forest’s possible starting line-up for the start of the season - if they sign their transfer targets.
Nottingham Forest find themselves in a curious position entering the new Premier League season – on the one hand, they’ve pulled off a coup in securing the services of Oliver Glasner as manager, but on the other they’ve lost Elliot Anderson and come into the campaign off the back of a difficult season.
The sale of Anderson does at least mean that they have some spending power, but their transfer plans have already been derailed after the collapse of a deal to sign Sporting centre-back Ousmane Diomande – a deal which would have represented another coup had they got it over the line.
With just a couple of weeks to go until the new season starts, Forest are still looking to sign a new centre-back, right-back and midfielder at the very least, and have plenty of work to do – so we’ve taken a speculative look at what their starting line-up might look like once the window has closed, based on current transfer reports.
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Promising wing-back Givairo Read is among Forest's transfer targetsplaceholder image
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GK – Matz Sels (£5m): As it stands, Sels looks likely to be the number one yet again, and there are few indications that Nottingham Forest are in the market for an upgrade between the sticks.
LWB – Neco Williams (£17m): Williams seems to have the left sided spot nailed down heading into the new campaign. There are some questions about exactly how Forest will line up under Glasner, but in defence it will be a back three with aggressive wing-backs – as was the case at Crystal Palace.
CB – Arthur Theate (£17m*): The failure to land Diomande could serve to reignite the club’s interest in Belgium international Theate, who can play as a left-sided centre-back or as a full-back. There was interest earlier in the window which appeared to be cool, but which could well be reignited under the circumstances.
CB – Nikola Milenković (£12m): The Serbian looks set to be a cornerstone of the defence once again, and appears to be earmarked for the central role in the back three based on pre-season line-ups.
CB – Murillo (£13m): For now, it doesn’t look as though Murillo will be going anywhere – but quite a few clubs have been keeping track of him, and Forest’s ability to keep him for another year could well be tested before deadline day.
RWB – Givairo Read (£21m*): Forest are one of a few teams who are chasing Feyenoord youngster Read, according to reports, and the Dutchman is expected to make a decision on his future soon. Forest will hope to be the lucky winners of the race.
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CM – Ibrahim Sangaré (£30m): Sangaré appears to be a nailed-on starter as it stands, the best of the club’s remaining options in midfield after the departure of Anderson. New signings could eventually threaten his position, but we expect him to be in place for week one.
CM – Tijjani Reijnders (£55m*): The gossip columnists seem to believe that Forest’s preferred replacement for Anderson would be one of his new team-mates at Manchester City – Reijnders couldn’t hold a starting place down at the Etihad last season but there’s every chance that he’d make for a very fine addition regardless.
LW – Dan Ndoye (£34m): We’re choosing to assume, for the purposes of this article, that Glasner goes for the same 3-4-3 formation he preferred at Palace, and that would most likely mean that Ndoye is the favourite to get starting minutes on the wing following his World Cup run with Switzerland.
RW – Morgan Gibbs-White (25m): Forest’s one-time record signing is still at the City Ground and unlike last summer, he doesn’t look likely to be leaving – if Glasner does go for a front three, he’ll likely play on the right wing, although his presence opens up the possibility that Glanser will adapt his tactics to play with a number 10 instead, to keep Gibbs-White in perhaps his best position.
CF – Igor Jesus (£10m): Periodic transfer rumours have linked Forest with the purchase of a new striker, and they’re said to be one of the teams in the bidding for Liam Delap, but it may not be a priority and as it stands, Jesus probably has the edge to be the starter in the number nine role after finding form in pre-season.