Why Nottingham Forest are striving for transfer that 'will not happen'
Nottingham Forest have made a surprise £22 million bid for Yoane Wissa - just days after Brentford boss Thomas Frank wished clubs 'good luck' in their attempts to prise the attacker away from the GTech Community Stadium.
Speaking earlier in the January transfer window, Thomas Frank batted away any potential move away from the Bees for Wissa, who became the club's leading Premier League goal scorer earlier this season. "Good luck! That will not happen." The Danish head coach insisted.
However, despite this clear warning to potential suitors, Nottingham Forest has submitted an offer for the DR Congo international. But, why is Nuno Espírito Santo continuing his pursuit of the player?
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Brentford have enjoyed sterling seasons from attacking duo Wissa and Bryan Mbuemo with the former racking up 11 goals and two assists in 19 Premier League outings. He reached 37 goals in the side's dramatic draw with struggling champions Manchester City to move clear of Ivan Toney as the club's highest goal scorer in the division.
The player can also operate either as a central striker or on the wing. Aside from this, his underlying numbers show there is no coincidence to his good form.
Wissa, whose contract expires in the summer of 2026, averages the best xG per shot in the Premier League this season ahead of Reds' starman Chris Wood. This means the quality of Wissa's chances are better, often due to positioning.
The 28-year-old also has a conversion rate to rival Wood’s meaning if he were to struggle for starts at City Ground, he could still produce goals when given the chance.
But Nuno’s reliance on substitutes has been well-documented this season with Forest making the most out of any other Premier League club so far in 24/25 - so Wissa is likely to get minutes.
This season Wissa and Mbuemo have become synonymous with each other - leaving many to question whether either player would perform as well away from the other.
In terms of style of play, both Forest and Brentford prefer a fast and direct approach but not to the same extent with the Trees holding the lowest possession percentage per match in the league, 39.3%, compared to Brentford's 47.4%.
Still, with second-choice striker Taiwo Awoniyi linked with a move away from the City Ground this window, Nuno will be hard-pressed to find a better replacement than versatile Wissa.
