The focus at Nottingham Forest right now is on improving Nuno Espírito Santo’s squad with the likes of James McAtee, but there has to be room made available.
Ahead of the new Premier League season, Espírito Santo expressed worry about Forest’s preparations, clearly hoping to have had more through the door in terms of transfers in pre-season.
McAtee was clearly one of these players, given that the Reds had targeted him throughout the summer before Forest finally agreed to sign McAtee for a package worth £30m.
However, to make room for the England U21 international, Forest are set to part ways with a midfielder who is already close to finalising a move to the Championship.
Marko Stamenic in action during Nottingham Forest v Al Qadsiah
Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images
Marko Stamenic set for Nottingham Forest departure
To clear out the squad, Espírito Santo made three players available, with New Zealand midfielder Marko Stamenic available to move on after a loan at Olympiacos last season.
The 23-year-old hasn’t made a single competitive appearance for the Reds since arriving last summer but did feature during pre-season. Clearly, though, Nuno didn’t see a future for him at Forest with a move to the EFL now very close.
According to BBC Sport: “Swansea City are closing in on the permanent signing of Marko Stamenic from Nottingham Forest.
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“The 23-year-old is due to undergo a medical at the club’s Fairwood training base before completing a switch to the Championship with Alan Sheehan’s side.”
Evidently, Stamenic wouldn’t have been close to a starting spot at Forest, but given that Nuno is worried about his options in the squad, the Kiwi’s exit speaks to how the Reds boss approaches squad building.
Nuno Espírito Santo doesn’t want a bloated squad
Alongside McAtee, Forest are set to sign Omari Hutchinson and Arnaud Kalimuendo which highlights the quality that Espírito Santo demands in his squad, a level that Stamenic hasn’t shown that he is able to reach.
However, some managers would keep someone like Stamenic around as emergency cover, but according to the Daily Mail, the Forest boss doesn’t want to build his squad this way.
“While Nuno was keen for a bigger squad to handle a domestic and Europa League campaign, he shies away from having 22 players on equal footing, with two competing fiercely for each spot.
“Rather, he likes players to know their roles from the off: some are first-choice, some are back-up. Last season, players like midfielder Ryan Yates and defender Morato understood their status perfectly and made vital contributions.”
Clearly, then, Nuno has his midfield back-ups set with the likes of Yates, leaving Stamenic with no natural spot in the squad.