Nottingham Forest didn't get their striker but Nuno's No. 1 transfer priority was still met
Transfer deadline day came with a late twist in the tail but otherwise was a relatively uneventful one for Nottingham Forest.
But that may be no bad thing. No last-minute panic buying. No being held to ransom and being forced to pay silly sums for targets. No signing someone simply for the sake of it.
Instead, the Reds maintained their careful and considered approach from the summer. Operating sensibly has been the order of the day.
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For those who live for the drama of the final throes of a window, it might not have made for the most interesting of 24 hours - the last-minute swoop for Manchester City teenage winger Joel Ndala aside. But there will likely be no complaints from head coach Nuno Espirito Santo.
The Portuguese insisted all along that the club only really needed to consider doing business if something “special” came up. If it didn’t, he made it perfectly clear he was happy with the squad he already had in place.
Winter windows are notoriously difficult to operate in. Selling clubs are well aware they can play on the desperation of others by charging a premium price for any targets. Add to the mix that strikers cost a premium at the best of times, let alone in January/February, and the challenge became even harder for Forest. They were not the only ones on the lookout for a forward, either.
Up front was the one area of Nuno’s squad potentially in need of attention. But if anyone were to come in, they had to be the right fit.
Nuno stressed several times that only players who wanted to move to the City Ground, who would improve the squad and who would slot into the dressing room need be considered. He was very conscious of the risks of rocking the boat.
Yoane Wissa was a target and Forest had a bid, said to be in the region of £18-22 million, rejected. Brentford remained firm in their stance that he was not for sale from then on.
The Reds had their eyes on recruiting a striker last summer, too. A considerable “what if” remains should the worst happen and Chris Wood picks up an injury. Coming through this window without cover secured might be considered a risk given the high stakes involved with European football potentially on the line, but it is a sensible one.
Nuno prefers to work with a small group. He likes every player to believe they have a part to play and feel they are in with a chance of being involved. He has emphasised, for example, that Taiwo Awoniyi can still play a key role in the remainder of the campaign.
Anthony Elanga and Jota Silva can also fill in at the top end of the pitch, if required. And Nuno has shown he is willing to tweak his usual 4-2-3-1 formation to accommodate absences, as was the case against Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend when he was without Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Forest did some excellent business last summer. Much of the groundwork for what has happened this season was done then, with the likes of Nikola Milenkovic, Morato and Elliot Anderson coming in. For Nuno, the top priority was always to keep the group together. The winter window might have been quieter, but for Nuno it will likely have been just as pleasing.
