Nottingham Forest have been eager to make a fast start to their summer transfer work amid a reshuffle of Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad.
No sooner had the window opened, it emerged the Reds were working on deals for Botafogo trio Igor Jesus, Jair Cunha and Cuiabano. There is still some uncertainty regarding the latter, in particular, amid talk Brighton and Hove Albion are keen, but Jesus has already confirmed he is set to move to the City Ground after the conclusion of the Club World Cup.
Meanwhile, Lyon quickly made it known they want midfielder Danilo. The Brazilian is likely to be among a group of players heading elsewhere in the coming weeks.
Confirmation has already come regarding the departures of Harry Toffolo and Aston Villa loanee Alex Moreno. Forest have also announced Willy Boly has been offered the chance to extend his stay and talks are taking place regarding Wayne Hennessey’s “future role” at the club.
Publication of the Reds’ retained list on Monday lunchtime outlined some of the work Forest have already done to reshape Nuno’s squad. But it was also an indication there is plenty more still to be done.
Among the list of retained players, several are unlikely to be part of the Portuguese’s plans next season. Moves still need to be sorted for the likes of Josh Bowler, Emmanuel Dennis and Lewis O’Brien.
Question marks remain against the futures of others and whether they will have parts to play. David Carmo, Omar Richards, Jota Silva, Ramon Sosa, Matt Turner and Marko Stamenic fall into that category.
In the cases of some of the above - Carmo, Richards and Stamenic - it might be that Nuno wants the opportunity to run the rule over them in pre-season before making any decision. Calls also need to be made over whether loans are best for youngsters such as Tyler Bindon and Eric da Silva Moreira.
To a certain extent, of course, how many players Forest allow to leave depends on who comes in. They do not want to be left short in any area of the pitch.
Being in the UEFA Conference League next season brings with it a whole new challenge. The Reds must have sufficient resources to cope with the additional games as they prepare to compete on multiple fronts.
For that reason, retaining the services of Boly makes a great deal of sense. The veteran centre-back is still capable of playing a number of games and providing an option on the bench. He is not suddenly going to become a regular starter, but Nuno is going to need to rotate his squad next term and that means the 34-year-old could see a fair few minutes.
Boly is also a key influence in the dressing room, as is Hennessey. If the latter is to remain, it will most likely be in a coaching role.
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Both men would continue to be important figures if they do stay on. The experience they offer would be vital as Forest navigate the experience of competing on the continent.
Excluding Boly, the Reds’ list of retained players is made up of 22 over the age of 24 and nine under the age of 24. Given the likelihood of several moving on, it shows the squad still requires strengthening in a number of departments.
Maintaining their excellent recent record in the transfer market and overseeing a few bargain deals will be key to that for the club. After all, although Forest are in a relatively healthy financial position this summer, when it comes to balancing the books and complying with Profitability and Sustainability Rules, clubs are often required to be thinking two or three windows ahead.
Getting transfer business right is a fine balancing act with many moving parts at play. Ahead of the mini transfer window closing at 7pm this evening (Tuesday), before it then reopens on June 16, the signs point to the Reds having a busy few weeks and months ahead.
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