Nottingham Forest will have some big decisions to make this summer when it comes to tweaking Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad.
The Portuguese prefers to work with a small, tight-knit group. But should the Reds qualify for Europe, they will need to make sure they have sufficient strength in depth to cope with competing on several fronts.
Will that mean some of those Forest players currently plying their trade elsewhere might have a part to play? Below, NottinghamshireLive assesses the futures of the first-team players who are out on loan.
Matt Turner (Crystal Palace): When the American arrived at the City Ground from Arsenal in the summer of 2023, he made it clear he wanted to play games. Will he be willing to settle for being back-up again for the Reds once his stint at Selhurst Park comes to an end? With that in mind, there may well be a question mark against his future Trentside.
Jonathan Panzo (Rio Ave): The defender has been hampered by injury while with fellow Evangelos Marinakis-owned outfit Rio Ave this term. He has never really had the opportunity to show what he is about in the Garibaldi, and it seems unlikely he will get that chance now as his contract expires at the end of the campaign.
Omar Richards (Rio Ave):This is a big season for the defender after a nightmare couple of years with injury since he signed for the Reds from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022. He has, at least, been getting a fair bit of game time in Portugal as he looks to build up form and fitness. Whether it will be enough to cope with the rigours of the Premier League remains to be seen. Forest will assess their left-back options in the summer so a big call looms over whether Richards can have a part to play.
Andrew Omobamidele (Strasbourg): Highly-regarded, the centre-back nevertheless found himself down the pecking order during the first half of this season. A switch to France was made in January with a view to getting more game time. The Ligue 1 side hold an option to make the 22-year-old’s move a permanent one so any decision over his future revolves around whether they take that up.
David Carmo (Olympiacos): Reds fans are yet to get a glimpse of what the defender has to offer as he immediately headed out on loan to Greece after putting pen to paper from Porto last summer. This is his second loan spell with Marinakis’ Olympiacos as he spent the second half of last term there while still on Porto’s books. The 25-year-old is a fairly regular starter and does have European experience under his belt, which might count in his favour when Forest assess their central defensive ranks in the summer.
Tyler Bindon (Reading): There is no question the Reds have a promising talent on their hands in the New Zealander. The 20-year-old is being tipped for big things and continues to impress for the Royals, having been loaned back to the League One side after he had signed for Forest before the winter window closed. The big question is whether he is ready to make the step up as part of a Premier League squad or whether another loan is viewed as best for his development. Nuno will no doubt be keen to cast an eye over the youngster in pre-season.
Get breaking Forest news sent direct to your phone
Join our Nottingham Forest WhatsApp group and get the latest breaking news, interviews and opinion sent straight to your phone, plus matchday team news and live updates of all the action. Just click here and select ‘Join Community’ to get started. The only proviso is that you must have WhatsApp on your phone to participate. No one will be able to see your personal information and you will only receive messages from the NottinghamshireLive Reds writers.
We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest Reds stories. If you later decide to opt out, just go to the name at the top of your screen and click 'Exit Group'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you are curious, you can click here to read our Privacy Notice.
Lewis O’Brien (Swansea City): The midfielder has had a succession of loans since he joined Forest in July 2022. He views his latest move, to Wales, as a chance to get his career back on track after MLS outfit Los Angeles FC did not take up the option to sign him permanently towards the end of 2024. The centre of the pitch is an area where the Reds are well stocked so it would come as little surprise to see O’Brien head elsewhere in the summer.
Josh Bowler (Luton Town): The winger finds himself in a similar situation to O’Brien, only with an even tougher challenge to secure minutes while out on loan. A move to Preston North End in the first half of the campaign did not work out, and a formation change implemented soon after his switch to the Hatters has now hindered his cause. Bowler is yet to make a competitive appearance in the Garibaldi and it is difficult to see that changing.
Marko Stamenic (Olympiacos): The midfielder has been in and out of the team somewhat in Greece, having joined Olympiacos on loan after signing for Forest last summer. It will be an important pre-season for the 23-year-old New Zealander as he looks to catch Nuno’s eye in an area where the Reds have several options.
Emmanuel Dennis (Blackburn Rovers): It was telling that the 27-year-old was not included in Forest’s 25-man squad for the first half of the campaign, then headed out on loan last month despite the Reds looking to strengthen their attacking resources. It seems unlikely Dennis will have forced his way into the picture by the summer.
Which loanees should get a chance with Forest next season? Click HERE to have your say