Nottingham Forest have a decisive few weeks ahead as they look to secure Champions League qualification, but the club will already have one eye on an important summer.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are third in the Premier League table with nine games to go. There is a very real possibility they will be playing European football next season.
What happens on the pitch between now and May will have a significant impact on what happens off it come the end of the campaign. But it will be a big transfer window for the club regardless. Below, NottinghamshireLive looks at some of the tasks the Reds will already have on their to-do list.
Key position
The most pressing matter for Forest in the summer will be adding a striker to the ranks. Bolstering their forward options has been on the agenda for the past two transfer windows, but without success.
That is something the Reds will really need to put right this time around. If they do get over the line for Europe, it will make sourcing extra firepower even more of a priority.
Head coach Nuno places great emphasis on recruiting the right characters as much as quality players. Whoever Forest target, he will need to fit into what is a tight-knit dressing room.
Plenty of speculation is already doing the rounds. Tammy Abraham, Yuri Alberto, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Semih Kilicsoy and Lorenzo Lucca are among the names to have been mentioned since the winter window closed.
It will also be worth keeping tabs on what happens with Brentford’s Yoane Wissa. Will the Reds try their luck again after being thwarted in January?
Contract calls
Ideally, Ola Aina’s situation is sorted out before the summer. The full-back’s contract runs until then but a 12-month extension is expected to be triggered and talks have taken place regarding a longer-term deal.
However, rivals are sniffing around the Nigerian, mindful that he has been in superb form in the Garibaldi. Getting him tied down as soon as possible should be the goal.
Aina is not the only player whose contract Forest will surely look to address in the near future. Agreeing fresh terms for Murillo and Chris Wood in January was a big statement of intent, and now attention will likely turn to others.
It has been suggested Morgan Gibbs-White will be in line for a new deal, with his current one running until 2027. He has no shortage of admirers so having the England international put pen to paper would reiterate that the Reds mean business.
Come the summer, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Neco Williams will have just 12 months remaining on their contracts so Forest will no doubt be conscious of resolving their futures. Meanwhile, decisions will need to be made on Wayne Hennessey, Jonathan Panzo, Harry Toffolo, Willy Boly and Aston Villa loanee Alex Moreno as their terms expire in June.
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Exits overseen
Last summer saw a significant number of departures from the City Ground as Forest put in a lot of work to trim their squad. Nuno prefers to work with a small group and most of those not part of his plans were moved on, either on loan or permanently.
There will be a similar undertaking this year, although perhaps not on quite the same scale as relatively little deadwood remains. The likes of Emmanuel Dennis, Josh Bowler and Lewis O’Brien will almost certainly head elsewhere when they return from their current loan spells.
Strasbourg hold an option to turn Andrew Omobamidele’s loan into a permanent switch in the summer, so it remains to be seen whether they take that up. Other loanees such as Omar Richards, David Carmo and Marko Stamenic will no doubt hope to get the opportunity to catch Nuno’s eye in pre-season.
The Portuguese will also get a first-hand look at young defender Tyler Bindon in the summer, after he headed back to Reading for the second half of the campaign following his deadline day move. The question will be asked whether the New Zealander is ready to make the step up.
At the heart of any of Forest’s dealings will be ensuring they comply with Profitability and Sustainability Rules. If this year is anything like 2024, the June 30 accounting deadline will create a mini transfer window as clubs look to avoid falling foul of the financial regulations.
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