Six top class signings Nottingham Forest could make this summer – including £35m Serie A star
Six players reported to be on Nottingham Forest’s shortlist for the summer transfer window - and the current state of play with each.
Nottingham Forest may have ultimately survived their brush with relegation with relative ease, but this is still a side which struggled to meet expectations after a hugely impressive 2024/25 campaign – and which is likely to lose some of its best players. A crucial transfer window is in prospect at the City Ground.
Elliot Anderson is expected to leave the club, most likely to join Manchester City, and it’s likely that there will be renewed interest in Brazilian centre-back Murillo. Should both depart, they will leave gaping voids which desperately need to be filled, but also the financial resources with which to do so in style.
With the summer transfer window set to open for business on Monday, we’ve taken a look at six players seemingly on Nottingham Forest’s radar over the coming months.
Arne Engels
Nottingham Forest made three consecutive bids for Celtic’s record signing at the tail end of the January transfer window, starting at £14m and swiftly rising all the way up to £25m, but were knocked back each time. Now fresh reports from The Scotsman and many others suggest that they will be back for a second bite of the cherry.
The all-action Engels is earmarked as a replacement for Anderson and should be able to replicate the England international’s box-to-box style of play. Celtic held firm over the winter as they chased down the Scottish Premiership title, but with that trophy secured the fact that the Belgian has just two years remaining on his contract at Parkhead could well soften their stance. Sunderland and Fulham are also believed to be interested, but Forest will be firmly at the front of the queue when the bidding begins in the coming weeks.
Hayden Hackney
The fact that Forest were interested in Engels in January strongly suggests that they will be looking for two midfielders this summer – one to replace Anderson, and another to add strength and depth to the squad. Middlesbrough’s Hackney is another known target, but may be harder to get hold of.
While it’s almost certain that the former England Under-21 international will be on the move this summer after his side missed out on promotion, Forest face stiff competition, with several other Premier League sides believed to have Hackney on their shopping lists. TEAMtalk are among the gossip outlets to suggest that they have already begun the process of preparing an offer, but there will be plenty of other sides in the race. Forest may be bidding more in hope than expectation, but they are likely to try their hand all the same. Reports suggest that Middlesbrough’s valuation hovers around the £20m mark.
Arthur Theate
A bid for the 26-year-old defender may have to wait until he returns from the World Cup, where he’s on duty with Belgium, but The Athletic report that Forest have already been in contact with the Eintracht Frankfurt player’s representatives. It may not be long before Forest’s interest crystalises into a formal offer.
Valued at around €20m (£17.2m) by his side, Theate – who has 33 caps for his country and previously spent time with Bologna and Rennes - can operate either as a left-back or as a ball-playing centre-half and possesses an impressive combination of technical quality and positional sense to go with his versatility. Bournemouth are also believed to be keen to make an offer, so there’s no guarantee that a deal will be easy to strike, but the Belgian could offer impressive value for money if that alleged asking price proves to be accurate. Expect Forest to monitor his progress as the World Cup progresses.
Jan Ziółkowski
Another player on the radar as a potential replacement for Murillo, the 20-year-old Poland international has been impressive at AS Roma over the last year as he began to force his way into the first-team reckoning and has earned himself a number of suitors, including Brighton and Bournemouth – but some stories suggest that Forest are leading the race for his signature as it stands.
Roma are expected to demand around £20m for one of their brightest young prospects but could be compelled to sell in order to balance the books this summer. Quite a few stories suggesting Forest’s interest have emerged from the Italian media, and while few reputable outlets in England have yet covered the story this is a case of a rumour which is producing plenty of smoke – and may therefore have a bit of fire behind it. Tall, strong in the air and comfortable with the ball at his feet, Ziółkowski certainly has plenty of the qualities required to replace Murillo even if he lacks experience.
Davide Frattesi
Another player that Forest tried to sign in January, and another that they could make a second bid for over the summer. The club agreed a loan deal with Frattesi’s current club Inter Milan over the winter which included a reported £35m purchase option, but their failure to find a replacement in time led to the Nerazzurri cancelling the transfer. With more time on their hands over the summer, a new deal might prove to be easier to get over the line.
Calciomercato are among the Italian outlets to suggest that Forest retain interest in Frattesi, who has earned 34 caps for his country but who has fallen down the pecking order at the San Siro over the past two seasons. Still blessed with plenty of technical class, it would be no surprise if Forest tried to reignite the deal which fell apart a few months ago – but Napoli and Roma may also be in the race.
Santiago Castro
While the initial focus appears to be on finding new defenders and midfielders to strengthen the squad’s soon-to-be depleted spine, a report from Sport Witness suggests that they’re also preparing to take another shot at finding a long-term replacement for Chris Wood up front – and 21-year-old Bologna forward Castro appears to be on the shortlist.
Castro hasn’t been a consistently potent forward in Serie A but has passed double figures in each of the last two seasons and has plenty of room to grow, while his physicality and intelligent movement have stood out already. The asking price isn’t clear at this stage, although Bologna are said to be keen to engineer a sale in order to get some financial breathing space. Forest haven’t firmed up their interest in Castro just yet, but he has the profile to take over from Wood if he can polish up his first touch and become a more reliable finisher.