Goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate, and center-back Felipe have all announced their departures from Nottingham Forest for the summer.
By the end of June, the contracts of the three will expire, and they will not be renewed. They are free agents and will go.
The Reds have also confirmed their five loanees are to return to their parent clubs. Gio Reyna, Divock Origi, Nuno Tavares, Gonzalo Montiel and Rodrigo Ribeiro’s loan spells come to an end this summer.
With the exception of Reyna, all of their agreements allow Forest to potentially make their actions permanent, however there is no indication that this will occur. “Nottingham Forest would like to thank each player for their contribution during their time at the City Ground and wishes them well for the future,” the club stated in a statement.
Willy Boly and Ola Aina, two defenders, have contracts that are about to expire. It is anticipated that the Reds will try to keep them on, though. Harry Arter, Scott McKenna, and Loic Mbe Soh are also expected to leave as free agents.
After relocating to the City Ground in January 2023, Felipe was instrumental in the team’s Premier League survival throughout that season. This time around, he had injury issues and earlier this year, he declared his intention to retire.
In the summer of 2022, Kouyate and Hennessey signed on, following the successful acquisition of promotion to the first division. This season, the former was mostly limited to a replacement position because head coach Nuno Espirito Santo had a lot of options in the middle of the pitch. Arriving as a backup keeper, Hennessey saw his status decline as Forest attempted to address their issues in goal, adding Matt Turner and Odysseas Vlachodimos in the summer and Matz Sels in January.
The departures herald a momentous summer for Trentside. Arrivals and departures are anticipated as the Reds get ready for their third straight Premier League season.
