The dream signings Nottingham Forest could still make - including Newcastle United hijack and £35m winger
Nottingham Forest are in the process of assembling a team for European football
Nottingham Forest are going on a European adventure for the first time in the 21st century after securing a place in the Europa League under the stewardship of Nuno Espirito Santo.
It’s not the first time the Portuguese coach has managed on the continent, having also led FC Porto to the round-of-16 in the Champions League, Wolves to the quarter-final of the Europa League and most recently Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Europa Conference League in what was a short-lived stay in North London.
Santo defied all expectations to get Nottingham Forest into Europe with most pundits backing them to be involved in some form of relegation battle. Now with the backing of ambitious owner Evangelos Marinakis, the 51-year-old faces the huge task of trying to take Forest into the latter stages of Europe like their legendary former coach Brian Clough while also ensuring there is enough squad quality to keep the Tricky Trees in the upper echelons of the Premier League table. Forest cashed in on star winger Anthony Elanga after lengthy interest from Newcastle United, but were able to make a real statement of intent by surprisingly keeping Morgan Gibbs-White at the club when he had looked destined to complete a £60m move to Tottenham.
The City Ground club have so far added two youngsters from Botafogo to their side in Igor Jesus and David Cormo in attack and defence respectively while parting ways with Danilo, Ramon Sosa and Andrew Omobamidel in the other direction. But what other deals could Forest look to strike before the end of the summer window? Here’s the latest based on recent speculation.
Nottingham Forest eye Adama Traore and potential £40m hijack
Guardian Sport claims Nottingham Forest are interested in signing experienced Fulham winger Adama Traore to their side after losing Anthony Elanga. The Spaniard played under Nuno Espirito Santo at Wolves and boasts plenty of European experience. He’s renowned for his excellent pace and could provide additional creativity after scoring twice and assisting seven in the league for Fulham last term. It’s thought that Forest will look to sign at least two wingers this summer as speculation surrounding the departure of Jota Silva continues to grow.
Earlier this summer, Nottingham Forest also had an offer of around £26m turned down from Brentford for DR Congo international Yoane Wissa. The 28-year-old had been linked with a move to the City Ground during the January window and it appears that interest in the striker has never fully gone away. Wissa scored 19 goals in the league last season; putting him amongst the top scorers in the division - with all of his goals coming from open play. He’s been linked with the likes of Newcastle United and Tottenham, and has expressed a desire to leave the Gtech Community Stadium for a new challenge after the departure of manager Thomas Frank and strike partner Bryan Mbeumo.
Newcastle were the favourites to get the deal done but as it stands Brentford are showing a reluctance towards selling their talisman, who has reportedly refused to play for the club again. Forest are thought to be keeping tabs on the situation and could still make a statement of intent with an offer of their own as they look to provide further competition for Chris Wood.
Nottingham Forest plot improved offer for Manchester City wonderkid as they edge closer to £35m signing
Sky Sports News understands Nottingham Forest have had an offer in the region of £25m rejected for England Under-21 international James McAtee. The 22-year-old formed part of Lee Carsley’s team that became European champions for the second time in a row over the summer and has been linked with a move away from the Etihad due to a flurry of new signings.
McAtee, who won promotion with Sheffield United during a loan spell before also being relegated a year later in 2023/24, played 27 times for City, scoring seven goals, including a hat-trick in the FA Cup against Salford City. He’s versatile enough to play as a right-winger and central attacking midfielder and could provide strong competition for Morgan Gibbs-White during a long 50+ game campaign.
According to Sun Sport, Nottingham Forest have also had an offer of around £35m accepted for Bologna winger Dan Ndoye.Forest have been battling Napoli all summer for Swiss international, who scored eight goals and provided four assists in 30 Serie A appearances last season, as well as playing in the Champions League for Bologna. Ndoye helped Bologna win the Coppa Italia last season and is expected to be a major part of Nuno Espirito Santo’s plans in Europe next term.