Konstantinos Mavropanos hugs Morato after a West Ham United goal
Konstantinos Mavropanos hugs Morato after a West Ham United goal
James Fearn/Getty Images
Nottingham Forest are undergoing major changes this season after a tumultuous campaign in which they went through four managerial changes before finishing 16th in the Premier League. The summer saw Oliver Glasner take the helm, with a wealth of new options also arriving to strengthen the squad for a push back towards Europe after their Europa League adventure last season.
After five matches, however, the Tricky Trees sit 14th in the table with just five points, with Glasner still searching for his second league win of the campaign.
The additions include Ousmane Diomande, Liam Delap and Xaver Schlager, among others, but Nottingham Forest have also seen a number of first-team players head out on loan as they look to trim the squad.
Inside Futbol take a look at which members of the Nottingham Forest squad can navigate their way back to the City Ground and who could be heading for the exit permanently.
1. Morato (on loan at West Ham United)
The Brazilian was brought to London on loan by Nuno Espirito Santo to help West Ham United after their relegation to the Championship, having also attracted interest from Roma. The 6ft 4in centre-back was never a regular starter at the City Ground, operating mainly as backup to Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic, but still impressed.
Under Nuno, Morato recorded 16 wins and nine clean sheets in 25 appearances at Forest, and has continued that form this season with five appearances, a goal and an assist.
Glasner favours a back three, but with Ousmane Diomande now a fixture in the side, Nottingham Forest have plenty of defensive options to accommodate, potentially leaving Morato facing a battle for regular minutes.
West Ham hold an option to buy the 25-year-old and, if he maintains his current form, Nuno could be tempted to trigger the deal, although much may depend on whether the Hammers secure promotion.
Verdict: Finished
2. Eric da Silva Moreira (on loan at Excelsior)
The right-back joined Excelsior on a season-long loan in August, his second move away from Nottingham Forest since signing in 2024. His first came last summer with Rio Ave, but that spell was ended by mutual agreement in January after just three appearances. July offered more promise as the 20-year-old impressed in pre-season, although his Eredivisie loan has yet to show the progress expected of a defender preparing for the Premier League.
Daniel Munoz, who followed Glasner from Crystal Palace, has quickly made the right flank his own. Nottingham Forest blocked a summer move for Nicolo Savona, but with the Italian still recovering from a knee injury, he faces a fight to dislodge Munoz and force his way into the starting lineup when he returns.
Moreira’s ability to cover the entire right flank could still work in his favour, but he would need plenty to fall his way if his future is to remain at the City Ground and at the moment that looks hugely unlikely.
Verdict: Finished
3. Omari Hutchinson (on loan at AC Milan)
The Surrey-born attacker joined the Midlands club last August and made 41 appearances in his debut season, registering nine goal involvements. This season, however, with Glasner favouring wing-backs over traditional wingers, Hutchinson was sent out on loan to work under Ruben Amorim, who employs a similar system.
The move has brought limited opportunities so far, with the 22-year-old playing just under 60 minutes, while the Milan club have also indicated they are not eager to activate their option to buy unless ‘something out of the ordinary’ happens.
Hutchinson scored in the European Under-21 Championship final last year as England lifted the trophy and already boasts more than 60 Premier League appearances. Despite not being a perfect fit for Glasner’s system at present, his experience means he could still have a role to play at the City Ground in the future, while he could even return from Italy a better player, especially in a tactical sense after admitting Serie A emphasises that side of the game.
Verdict: Future
4. Tyler Bindon (on loan at Charlton Athletic)
Bindon, tipped to have a bright future by a former winger, is fresh from a World Cup campaign with New Zealand, making three appearances, including one start. Aware of the competition for centre-back places in Glasner’s system, the 21-year-old Kiwi has joined Nathan Jones at Charlton Athletic on a season-long loan.
The move follows a highly successful loan spell with Sheffield United last season, where Bindon made 25 league appearances.
So far, Bindon has started five times for the Addicks and registered an assist in his latest outing against Cardiff City. With regular first-team minutes and experience under his belt, he will be hoping to turn that progress into a Nottingham Forest debut in the near future.
Verdict: Future
5. Dilane Bakwa (on loan at Lille)
The 24-year-old winger, like Hutchinson, opted for a loan move to guarantee regular minutes, having recognised that he was not a natural fit under the new boss. Bakwa joined Lille for the season, with Champions League football on offer despite interest from the Premier League.
The left-footed winger, who came to Forest last summer and endured a limited debut campaign, accumulating just 967 minutes, has already made greater strides with the Mastiffs this season, making five appearances while scoring once and providing an assist.
Lille have no option to make Bakwa’s move permanent, meaning a return to the City Ground looks likely, with the winger under contract until 2030.
Verdict: Future
6. Zach Abbott (on loan at Southampton)
The 6ft 2in central defender, who can also operate at left-back or right-back, is coming off a hugely important campaign with Nottingham Forest, making his senior debut and playing a key role in their Europa League run to the semi-finals with seven appearances in total, five of them starts.
The 20-year-old has since joined Southampton on a season-long loan, but is yet to play a minute under Tonda Eckert.
Abbott, who joined the Tricky Trees at the age of 11, extended his contract until 2030 before the move, giving Nottingham Forest a long-term option while he looks to gain first-team experience at St Mary’s.
Verdict: Future
7. Cuiabano (on loan at Vasco da Gama)
The 23-year-old is yet to play a single minute for Nottingham Forest’s first team since joining from Botafogo in 2025, having been immediately loaned back to the Rio de Janeiro side for the remainder of last season.
In February, the left-back returned to Brazil to join Vasco da Gama on loan with an option to buy and has impressed, making 25 appearances across all competitions while registering a goal and five assists.
Gigante da Colina have made no secret of their desire to retain the Brazilian, although the financial implications of the deal will need to be assessed first.
Cuiabano is capable of patrolling the left flank from end to end, but with Luca Netz and Nico Williams ahead of him in the pecking order, a future with the Midlands side may be difficult to envisage.
Verdict: Finished
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