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Managing Nottingham Forest - key January signing, Nuno wish granted and duo tied down
A positive start to the Premier League season makes for an interesting January transfer window ahead for Nottingham Forest.
Only minimal tinkering should be required after a busy summer put good foundations in place at the City Ground. But with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side going well so far, any decisions will carry added weight.
The Reds will be well aware of the importance of making the right calls. With not long to go before clubs can begin doing deals again, we take a look at what might be on the cards for Forest.
Key position strengthened
Thanks to the business done in the summer, Nuno’s squad has impressive strength in depth. Even with a couple of long-term injuries, the Portuguese has options all over the pitch.
It means the Reds shouldn’t have a particularly long shopping list for January. But if they keep up their excellent form and European football appears a possibility, it wouldn’t be a surprise if owner Evangelos Marinakis is tempted to splash out in the transfer market.
And if Forest do consider spending big, targeting a striker will surely be near the top of their agenda. It is a position they wanted to strengthen in the summer but the club didn’t manage to get a deal over the line, despite having several players on their radar.
Chris Wood’s eye-catching goal haul in the opening weeks of the campaign means the Reds haven’t suffered from missing out on a forward signing. If anything, not spending for the sake of it appears to have been a wise move.
But with Taiwo Awoniyi struggling to really get going, it is a big ask for Wood to shoulder the goalscoring burden right through to May. Forest will no doubt also be conscious of the need to consider any potential injuries in that department.
Nuno’s wish
Prior to the clash with Newcastle United, Nuno spoke at length about the decision to hang on to key players in the summer. Despite the likes of Murillo, Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga attracting interest, all remained in situ when the window closed on August 30.
“I wanted to keep the core of the squad - not only the players in the press for taking attention of other clubs, but all the players. If you look, we have achieved that,” Nuno said. “The owner understood the situation when we were speaking about the next season.”
The Portuguese will hope he is saying something similar come the end of January. Fending off any suitors in their star men can once again be key for the Reds.
Given recent performances, there will no doubt be speculation about some of their prized assets. But the squad Nuno has at his disposal now is working well; it would be a shame if there is any great disruption to that.
“This is the part we cannot control,” Nuno said of players potentially being on the wanted list of rivals going into January. “When the moment comes, we have to be ready and operate as a club. But this is the part we cannot control, and January is so far ahead of us that we don’t even think about that.”
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Duo tied down
January always draws into focus those who are coming towards the end of their contracts. Clubs must weigh up whether to sell or allow players to see out their deals before walking away for nothing in the summer. The alternative is to offer fresh terms - and that is what Forest must ensure happens to two of their players, in particular.
Ola Aina and Wood are both due to become free agents at the end of the season, as things stand. The Reds are keen to get both tied down, and getting those deals sorted will be pretty high on their to-do list.
The picture is less clear where Harry Toffolo and Willy Boly are concerned. The defensive duo are also in the final months of their contracts but both have struggled for game time this term.
Forest hold an option to extend Boly’s contract by a further 12 months, until 2026. Whether they take it up or not remains to be seen. The Reds will not want to leave themselves short in any area of the pitch, but whether either player is keen to secure regular football will no doubt be a consideration in any decisions made.
