In Lorenzo Lucca, Nottingham Forest have signed a six foot 7 mass of striking talent to spearhead the next phase in this club's development. The Italian has arrived on loan until the end of the season, with the option to make the move permanent worth £35m.
Arnaud Kalimuendo was allowed to join Eintracht Frankfurt on loan after a disappointing six-month spell at the City Ground. He's got two goals and an assist from his first five Bundesliga outings, so that's one the club will just have to take on the chin.
Nottingham Forest ins and outs winter 2026 (deadline day)
However, a tougher pill to swallow was the failed bid for Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney, who could have been a shrewd buy for a club now lacking some depth in the centre of the park.
Why Forest wanted Hayden Hackney
It was always going to be an ambitious grab. Middlesbrough are narrowly behind Coventry City in the race for first place in the Championship. Hackney is the midfield linchpin, and Neil Warnock said, "He will be in the Premier League, with or without Middlesbrough".
A robust, intelligent and industrious midfielder, Hackney, 23, would help advance Sean Dyche's tactics and progress play. He has not only won 4.9 duels per Championship match this season but created 1.8 chances and recovered 5.7 balls on average too.
A last-gasp effort to sign the English talent was indeed knocked back, with Middlesbrough reported to have been holding out for £30m.
Should Boro fail to qualify for promotion, you can be sure that the Tricky Trees will return, along with a host of further top-flight suitors.
Hayden Hackney Boro season in numbers 25-26
Forest will rue the failure to sign a midfielder. Celtic's Arne Engels also stays put despite Evangelos Marinakis' vested interest.
It's a blow, but Forest still have a much bigger talent than Hackney plying his trade in the middle of the park.
Forest have an even bigger talent than Hackney
It's been a wild ride for those of a Forest persuasion since Steve Cooper led the club up from their lower-league purgatory.
While the 2025/26 season has seen plenty of upheaval for the club, there's no question that Dyche's efforts to lift them back up are helped immensely by the presence of Elliot Anderson at the heart of the pitch.
Everton manager Sean Dyche looks on
Anderson has been "phenomenal" since leaving Newcastle for Forest in 2024, as said by England teammate Reece James. Anderson has settled well into a central Three Lions partnership with Declan Rice, and looks like he will play a major part at the looming World Cup in North America.
The 23-year-old's all-action midfield style has made him an attractive option for all the biggest hitters, so combative and so creative. There is a completeness about him that many midfielders fail to establish after a career of hard graft.
Forest, of course, know that they have a superstar in their mix, and while the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United have made their interests known in recent months, Marinakis is adamant that Anderson is worth £100m.
Hackney's market price pales in comparison, but that's not to say the Boro centrepiece wouldn't go on to see his stock rise in a similar fashion.
Elliot Anderson's Premier League form for Forest
Stats (*per game)
Matches (starts)
Goals + Assists
Touches*
Accurate passes*
Chances created*
Dribbles*
Ball recoveries*
Tackles + interceptions*
Duels won*
Data via Sofascore
Described as a "special player" by content creator Callum Castel, Anderson is unquestionably the cream of Forest's crop, and even if a sale is forced in the future, it's pleasing to note he will deepen the side's transfer pockets as they look to bounce back into European contention in the Premier League.
If Hackney is added to the mix in 2026, perhaps the blow will be softened even further.
Elliot Anderson for Nottingham Forest-1
Anderson is comfortably one of the best centre-midfielders in the Premier League, and while there's a sense at the City Ground that they will one day need to cash in, for now, he continues to play for Forest, and as he made a difference in qualifying for Europe last year, he may well give Dyche the edge in the relegation battle this year.
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