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Evangelos Marinakis £262m spend as Murillo and striker transfer twists emerge
Nottingham Forest might not be in action on the pitch during the international break - but there’s been plenty happening off it so far, ahead of their return to Premier League duty with a big match against Arsenal next Saturday.
There has been fresh speculation surrounding the future of Brazilian defender Murillo and the president of Corinthians has spoken out about Reds-linked striker Yuri Alberto, ahead of the January transfer window. There has also been a significant injury blow confirmed ahead of the Reds facing the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium.
Here’s a round-up of the latest Forest news during the November international break:
£262m transfer decision paying off
Nottingham Forest’s recent success in the transfer market is paying dividends on the pitch - and a new study has backed this up.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have made a strong start to the season and sit fifth in the Premier League table with 11 games gone. They have 19 points to their name, level with Chelsea, Arsenal and Brighton and Hove Albion.
The Reds are reaping the rewards of some considered and sensible business done in the summer. The likes of Nikola Milenkovic, Elliot Anderson and Alex Moreno have made positive early impressions since their moves to the City Ground. And players already at the club, such as Murillo, Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi, have continued to catch the eye.
According to Transfermarkt, Forest are making the most of the money they have spent to piece Nuno’s squad together. The Reds are said to have one of the best ratios for total transfer fees paid per league point in the division.
Transfer ‘risk’
Goalkeeper Matz Sels says his January deadline day move to the City Ground was “a risk” - but the gamble has certainly paid off for the Belgian and Nottingham Forest.
Sels immediately established himself as the Reds’ No.1 when he joined midway through last season. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were in the thick of a relegation battle at the time and he played his part in helping them to get over the line.
Forest went through another reshuffle between the posts in the summer, with Odysseas Vlachodimos and Matt Turner departing and Carlos Miguel arriving. But there has been no change to Sels’ role; he remains Nuno’s first-choice.
It has been a fine start to the campaign for the 32-year-old, who was nominated for the Premier League Player of the Month award for October only to lose out to teammate Chris Wood. It means he now reflects on his decision to leave Strasbourg after five-and-a-half years as being a good one.
"It was a risk to go to Nottingham on Deadline Day in January,” Sels told Belgian publication De Morgen. “I only had a few hours to decide, while I was still popular at Strasbourg.
Huge injury blow
Arsenal defender Ben White is understood to be set for a spell on the sidelines having undergone minor surgery on a knee issue.
White, 27, has seen his workload managed during the opening part of the season, making only 12 appearances.
Although White started the past two matches in the Champions League at Inter Milan and against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Sunday – playing the full 90 minutes in both – the decision has now been made to have an operation.
Reports suggest the procedure to help alleviate his joint issues will see White unavailable for around eight weeks.
With summer signing Riccardo Calafiori still recovering from a knee injury and Takehiro Tomiyasu also unavailable, the loss of White would be another setback for Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, who has seen his side slip back in the title race.
Arsenal return to action following the international break with a home match on November 23 against Nottingham Forest.
Murillo transfer latest
Nottingham Forest ace Murillo continues to attract plenty of attention as the January transfer window looms.
The centre-back is currently on duty with Brazil after his fine form for the Reds earned him a first call-up to the national team. But the key role he has played for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side has also done little to quash speculation about his future.
According to TBR Football, scouts from European heavyweights Barcelona and Real Madrid attended the City Ground last weekend to watch Forest’s clash with Newcastle United. They are said to have been keen to check out Murillo, as well as Magpies duo Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes.
Spanish publication Sport also identifies the two clubs as being particularly keen on the Reds defender, and they will have watched him score his first goal in the Garibaldi in Sunday's 3-1 defeat to Newcastle. It is said Barca have been receiving updates on him since his time at Corinthians, where he made his breakthrough into senior football before making the move to Forest in the summer of 2023.
Club chief sets Alberto transfer stance
Nottingham Forest might have their work cut out to prise away Yuri Alberto from Corinthians, if they decide to pursue their interest in the striker.
Strengthening their attacking resources in January is likely to be on the agenda for the Reds after they did not manage to do so in the summer. And ahead of the transfer window reopening, they have been linked with 23-year-old Alberto.
However, his club have indicated that he is unlikely to go anywhere next year. Augusto Melo, president of Corinthians, has stressed the importance of the front man to Ramon Diaz’s team.
“He (Yuri Alberto) has already shown this, which is why he had the economic rights purchased (in 2023). I'm not worried,” Melo told Brazilian outlet Trivela. “He's a very important player for Corinthians and we'll definitely count on him in 2025.”
