Nuno Espirito Santo, the new manager of Nottingham Forest, is expected to lose six important players to the African Cup of Nations, thus the team will need to look back to the transfer market for reinforcements.
The club is in need of more squad depth despite having added an amazing 42 players since winning promotion from the Championship in 2022. This is due to the impending player departures.
Willy Boly, Ibrahim Sangare, and Serge Aurier are expected to join the Ivory Coast national squad. Senegal has called up Cheikhou Kouyate and Moussa Niakhate, while Ola Aina is set to play for Nigeria. But after having groin surgery in November, star forward Taiwo Awoniyi—who would have been a candidate for the Super Eagles—will be out for several months.
These important players’ exits for the African Cup of Nations compel the team to think about adding players to the roster.
With Gustavo Scarpa going back to Brazil with Atletico Mineiro, the £4.3 million sale of the player will help Nottingham Forest’s transfer budget. Scarpa, who originally arrived on a free transfer from Palmeiras in December 2022, has been loaned to Olympiacos in Greece for the current campaign.
Regarding new hires, The Mirror reports that Forest is expected to finalize a contract for Fluminense center-back Nino. The 26-year-old Brazilian defender is anticipated to cost approximately £6 million and has been the focus of lengthy negotiations. The Tricky Trees team would receive more defensive strength with this possible transfer.
Furthermore, there are rumors that claim Forest is deep into talks to sign Portuguese winger Gelson Martins from Monaco. The midfielder, who is in the last year of his contract with the Ligue 1 team, can be available on a free transfer or for a fair price. The fact that Forest is pursuing Martins indicates that they are making a calculated move to add a player with top-flight European football experience to their offensive options.
