Nottingham Forest have three games left to preserve their Premier League status as the battle to avoid the drop threatens to go right to the wire.
It remains incredibly tight at the bottom end of the table. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side sit just above the dotted line but know Luton Town and Burnley will have their eyes on closing the gap.
The Reds head to already-relegated Sheffield United for a crucial game on Saturday. They then have a visit from Chelsea and a crunch clash with the Clarets at Turf Moor to see out the campaign.
But whichever division Forest find themselves in next term, it will be an important summer at the City Ground. Incomings and outgoings are expected once the transfer window opens.
The club will also have to make decisions about players whose contracts are coming to an end, while they also have several players whose loans are due to expire. For some, the next few weeks could be a case of saying goodbye to the Reds. Below, we take a look at the players whose deals are set to run out this summer.
Wayne Hennessey
Signed in the summer of 2022, Wayne Hennessey has made just nine appearances for the club and hasn’t featured at all this season. Forest have four senior goalkeepers on their books at present – with Matz Sels, Matt Turner and Odysseas Vlachodimos on longer contracts – so there will need to be a reassessment of the situation in the summer.
Willy Boly
If the Reds needed a reminder of just how important Willy Boly is, it came against Manchester City last weekend. The defender made a difference on his return from injury, and Nuno will be hoping he is fit enough to feature in the final three games. He may be 33, but offering him a new contract would surely be a wise move by the club.
Felipe
It might well be that Felipe has already pulled on the Garibaldi for the final time. He has already stated his intention to retire at the end of this season and it will be a challenge for him to get minutes in the remaining matches. The contribution the Brazilian made to last term’s survival mission will not be forgotten, though.
Ola Aina
Ola Aina has proved to be an excellent signing since arriving as a free agent last summer. He will go down as a great bit of business by the club. His deal included future options and the suggestion is a new one is expected to be in the pipeline – although it remains to be seen whether Forest’s survival fate would affect that.
Cheikhou Kouyate
Cheikhou Kouyate has been limited to a bit-part role this season. The centre of the pitch is one area where Nuno has a fair few options, so it would not be a surprise to see the 34-year-old depart when the campaign is over.
Gonzalo Montiel
Injuries have hampered Gonzalo Montiel but he has also struggled to find a level of consistency during his loan from Sevilla. The form of Neco Williams at right-back has also limited his chances, although with a question mark over the Wales international’s fitness for the run-in Montiel might be required to step in. There is the potential to make his move permanent, but reports have suggested Sevilla are not expecting that to happen.
Nuno Tavares
Nuno Tavares has featured 12 times in the Garibaldi this term. As with Montiel, injuries and mixed form have not helped the Arsenal loanee’s cause. His deal includes future options, but he has been linked with other clubs.
Gio Reyna
There is a debate to be had over whether Borussia Dortmund loanee Gio Reyna should have played more since he arrived in January. He has not really been able to show what he can do. His was a straight loan, and no doubt plenty of pundits will have a view over whether it could be classed as a successful one or not.
Divock Origi
Divock Origi’s stint at Forest hasn’t really worked out for the AC Milan loanee. He has made 22 appearances so far and has scored just the one goal. Although there is the option to make his move a permanent one, the attacker hasn’t exactly done enough to suggest it would make sense for the Reds to take that up.
Rodrigo Ribeiro
Teenager Rodrigo Ribeiro has made just four substitute appearances since his arrival on loan from Sporting Lisbon on deadline day in the January transfer window. He has looked bright, though, and clearly has talent. He was always viewed as being one for the future, so it remains to be seen whether the Reds act on the potential to make his deal permanent.
Loic Mbe Soh
Loic Mbe Soh was viewed as a bright talent when he signed from PSG in 2020 but it never really happened for him Trentside. He is still only 22 so has a long career ahead of him, but it is unlikely to be at the City Ground. He has spent this season on loan at Almere City and has made 18 league appearances for the Dutch outfit.
Scott McKenna
One of the promotion heroes, Scott McKenna will always be highly thought of at Forest. He has been a fine servant during his four years at the club. However, amid a reported contract dispute he headed to FC Copenhagen on loan in January. He has made 10 appearances for his loan club, including starting a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League.
Harry Arter
Harry Arter last played a competitive game for Forest in January 2021. He has not been part of the first-team set-up for some time and the club will no doubt be relieved to see him off the wage bill this summer.
