Nottingham Forest wrapped up what was a very eventful January transfer window on Monday, and they also agreed an under-the-radar exit which can be finalised outside the deadline.
Sean Dyche desperately needed reinforcements with his side languishing 17th in the Premier League table, sitting just five points clear of the relegation zone.
Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche looks on
The Reds thought they'd secured Jean-Philippe Mateta from Crystal Palace after bidding £35 million for the French striker.
Mateta even wanted the move at one point, and seemed destined for the City Ground before AC Milan hijacked the deal at the last second.
Then came the dramatic twist on deadline day itself. Milan's medical revealed serious knee problems that would require surgery and sideline Mateta for three to four months, causing the Italian giants to pull the plug entirely.
Forest suddenly dodged a massive bullet, they could've been stuck paying £35 million for a striker who needed immediate surgery.
Talk about a lucky escape, but still no second striker after their loan deal for Napoli's Lorenzo Lucca.
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Their pursuit of Celtic midfielder Arne Engels proved equally fruitless despite Forest's relentless efforts throughout deadline day.
The Premier League strugglers launched three separate bids for the 22-year-old Belgian, eventually reaching £25 million (£20 million plus £5 million in add-ons).
Celtic rejected all three offers, with manager Martin O'Neill making it crystal clear Engels wasn't going anywhere.
The Scottish champions had previously knocked back bids worth £14 million and £17.3 million before Forest's final £25 million deadline day gamble also failed.
O'Neill joked he'd only accept a £100 million offer, effectively slamming the door shut on any potential deal. Celtic had no replacement lined up and weren't about to weaken their squad whilst fighting on three fronts — the Scottish Premiership title race, Scottish Cup, and Europa League.
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It wasn't all doom and gloom for the Tricky Trees though, who did manage to strike deals for Lucca, Man City's Stefan Ortega and left-back Luca Netz.
They also green-lit some departures, including a very last-minute one on deadline day which fell below notice.
Cuiabano to leave Nottingham Forest after Vasco de Gama agreement
Indeed, Brazilian clubs can sign players until March, but Vasco de Gama moved to secure a British deadline day loan deal for Nottingham Forest left-back Cuiabano.
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Cuiabano in action for Botafogo.
The 22-year-old is now poised to return to his homeland where he'll represent Vasco, after a 2025 where he managed 48 appearances for Botafogo, including six goals and five assists in all competitions.
Journalist Vese Casagrande says the deal is 'closed' and the transfer is 'finalised', with Cuiabano due to fly out to Vasco in the coming days.
Forest will receive an £863,000 loan fee for Cuiabano, and the deal also includes an £8.5 million option to buy.
The South American potentially leaves permanently without making a single senior appearance for the club.
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