Nottingham Forest have tried and failed to land a host of really top players during the last two transfer windows.
Santiago Gimenez rejected Forest in the summer. He held out until January and timed things to perfection by joining Milan after a strong start to 2024/25 with Feyenoord.
Another striker was on the cards in the summer but Eddie Nketiah chose Crystal Palace instead. That one, doesn’t feel such a big deal now given he’s scored once in the Premier League all season.
In January, the trait was similar. Evangelos Marinakis wanted to sign a new forward but was ultimately left frustrated in his month-long efforts.
Yoane Wissa was a top Forest target. Brentford didn’t want to lose him, however, and Jamie Redknapp felt Wissa was worth £40 million.
Matheus Cunha also signed a new contract with Wolves. He’s been linked with Forest with Marinakis keen to see the club remain in the hunt for the Champions League.
It wasn’t just strikers, however, with Forest trying for other players who they ultimately couldn’t prise away from their current clubs in January.
Photo by Grzegorz Wajda/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Photo by Grzegorz Wajda/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Nottingham Forest target Douglas Luiz could leave in the summer
The Juventus midfielder was another target of Forest in January but he chose to remain in Turin for another few months.
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Now, according to Calciomercato, Luiz will be allowed to depart the Old Lady in the summer with the player down the pecking order in Serie A.
Furthermore, it appears that the player would welcome a return to the Premier League and it looks clear that Forest will be on the hunt for a new number six.
Davide Frattesi has been linked with Forest. The club are perhaps looking to take some of the burden away from Ibrahim Sangare next season with the Ivorian struggling for game time at the City Ground amid poor form and injury problems.
Luiz won’t come cheap, however. It’s claimed in the report that he could cost north of £35 million but if the Reds do reach the Champions League that could be more than doable.
Douglas Luiz stats 2024/25
It’s not been a particularly happy move to Juventus for Luiz who has largely been on the fringes of things during the current campaign.
The 26-year-old has been on the fringes in large and has played just 22 games in all competitions during he current season.
Douglas Luiz stats 2024/25 – Serie A Total
Appearances 15
Tackles 12
Interceptions 2
Accurate Short Passes 322
Who Scored Rating 6.42
A muscle injury ruled him out for eight games and that does appear to have hampered his progress, particularly in the Serie A campaign.
Still, a way out in the summer does look viable for Luiz and if Forest have European football on the table, this might be just the statement signing the team needs in midfield.