Less than a month out from the start of the new Premier League campaign, Nottingham Forest are slowly but surely strengthening.
So far five new signings have been confirmed, the latest of them Nikola Milenkovic from Fiorentina. The 26-year-old central defender slots straight into Nuno Espirito Santo ‘s squad, who have started on-field preparations already.
After a first outing of pre-season, the manager highlighted his desire for more deals before the window slams shut. “We have some (signings) and the squad is not closed yet. We still have aspects to decide,” the boss confirmed.
So with all of that said, Nottinghamshire Live provides a round-up of Forest’s latest rumoured activity in the market..
Chuba Akpom
With Nuno potentially on the hunt for added firepower, links to Chuba Akpom resurfaced in recent days.
The club were unable to strike a deal with Ajax for the 28-year-old in January, though an extended period between now and this summer’s deadline day offers more leeway for negotiations to take place. Regardless of any accord being reached, the player himself has one key condition to a Dutch exit, to which he has expressed openness.
“What I have learned in the course of my career is to just keep focusing on football. If you start thinking about things outside the field, you get distracted,” he explained this week.
“I don’t know if I’ll be here next week or at the end of the transfer window, but every day I come to the club I train as if I’m going to stay here this season. I don’t think I can sit on the bench for another year as a second striker. If I get more involved in the competitions this year, I would like to stay here. If not, then it might be time to look further. We will see.”
Alexis Saelemaekers
Italian media have also tipped Forest to make an approach for AC Milan midfielder Alexis Saelemaekers – someone ‘the Premier League are crazy about’.
Along with Ipswich Town and Leicester City, they are said to have requested the relevant information from the Serie A giants before deciding whether to make a move or not. Supposedly the response was with two years remaining on his contract, the Belgian will be available for a fee in the region of £8-12.5m.
Milan prefer not to loan again over a permanent sale, having used that option last season when sending him to Bologna.
Lazar Samardzic
Now three recurring themes combine, as Forest allegedly reignited prior interest in another midfielder from the Italian league.
12 months ago under Steve Cooper, the club had their eyes on Lazar Samardzic of Udinese. Now a report brought new information to light this summer suggesting a new £16m offer had been sent to the Serbian’s club, although it was down to the player himself to reject the approach from the offset.
Samardzic has high ambitions to play in the Champions League, was the crucial reasoning provided. As a result his search for a suitor is still ongoing.
Anthony Elanga
When Forest were battling to stay within the confines of the Premier League’s permitted loss limits ahead of June’s accounting deadline, the late stages of the month saw shocking details emerge of discussions over a ‘swap’ deal with Newcastle United.
The Magpies were also in a rut, and did end up selling Elliot Anderson to Nuno and Co. Also debated by the clubs was the potential movement of Yankuba Minteh for a fee, whilst similarly Anthony Elanga would move the opposite way.
Ultimately neither of the latter two players made those moves, though Newcastle did end up selling Minteh to Brighton. This has left them even lighter in attack, and they still hold an interest in Forest’s Swedish international.
Joe Worrall
The nature of the beast is that heroes that helped earn promotion for a club can be cast aside easily once fighting at a higher level.
This is exactly what Joe Worrall has faced over the past season, so has been linked with a transfer away from the City Ground for some time now. The latest word on the former captain is that relegated Sheffield United are interested and would have to pay £4m for his services.
Murillo
As well as to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules, the club’s efforts to move on other players has been in view of keeping Murillo out of the clutches of Premier League rivals following his impressive debut campaign.
The club would be in line for a substantial profit on the £11m handed to Corinthians last summer, though it could potentially come at a cost of relegation. It means they wish to keep hold, at least for now, though the task was made all the more difficult with his flirting with a earlier in July.
“We don’t know anything for certain, the window opened last month so I’m going to return to Nottingham Forest for pre-season,” he said. “There might be some discussions on whether I’ll stay or not so there’s a lot of things to happen still but I’m relaxed.”
The Brazilian had directly commented on the idea of replacing Thiago Silva at Chelsea, whose interest is concrete having made an approach. The Blues are joined by top-flight rivals and Juventus.
Marco Friedl
Prior to Milenkovic’s arrival, another central defender the club were reportedly looking at was Werder Bremen’s Marco Friedl.
It is unknown whether any contacts will be followed up now one addition has been made in this area of the squad, though Forest supposedly got as far as speaking to the player’s representatives. The message received was the 26-year-old is ‘happy’ in his current surroundings, though has ‘ambition’ one day turn out for a Premier League side.
His club would seek £10-15m in return, and would be open to negotiating in that range.
Che Adams
Another attacking option is Che Adams – now a free agent having departed newly-promoted Southampton.
The 28-year-old remains on the lookout for a new club with different Premier League members said to have made their interest known, Forest being one of them. But, their failure to wrap up his signing earlier in the summer could be to their detriment as the level of competition increases at an alarming rate.
So far Wolves, a number of MLS clubs and even Saudi Pro League outfits have been tipped to rival the Reds.
