Nottingham Forest and transfer deadline day go together like Ant and Dec, Richard and Judy or Elton John and Kiki Dee.
The Reds simply love the drama of the window slamming shut, and if you were ever going to have a sweepstake on which team will be active right until the end, Forest will be the team in everybody’s thoughts.
John Victor signed for Forest to kick things off on Monday morning, with Botafogo teammate Cuiabano checking in later in the day.
Forest finally added Dilane Bakwa to the squad after the paperwork came back around two hours after the cut-off, with a late surprise in store for Forest.
Against the odds, Forest announced after the deadline that a deal sheet had been submitted for Oleksandr Zinchenko with the loan move duly announced late on Monday night.
Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchecko in training
Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Oleksandr Zinchenko’s first words as a Nottingham Forest player
Zinchenko feels like a very useful signing given the experience he inevitably brings to a young team.
The 30-year-old will come in and likely provide competition for Neco Williams at left-back, whilst he can also operate in the middle of the park.
Shortly after arriving at Forest, Zinchenko was asked by the club’s media team to send a message to the supporters, and he kept things short and sweet.
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He said on Instagram: “Hi guys, I’m so happy to join Nottingham Forest, so excited for the season ahead, and I can’t wait to meet you all there. Come on, Forest!”
Zinchenko won’t have come to Forest to play second fiddle
With four Premier League titles and 145 appearances in the top-flight to his name, this does feel like a very solid signing made by Forest.
The fact that it came out of the blue isn’t really a concern, and it feels likely that Edu called in a favour from his former club to get this one over the line.
Forest signed lots of younger players during the transfer window, and ultimately, adding Zinchenko should add some leadership to the dressing room ahead of the European campaign.
Zinchenko will cover a number of positions on the pitch and after 41 appearances in the Champions League, this feels like a very safe bet on a season-long loan.