With less than a month until the new Premier League season kicks off, Nottingham Forest are steadily strengthening their squad.
So far, they have confirmed five new signings, including the latest addition, Nikola Milenkovic from Fiorentina. The 26-year-old central defender slots directly into Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad, which has already begun on-field preparations.
Following their first pre-season outing, the manager expressed a desire for more additions before the transfer window closes. “We have some signings, but the squad is not yet complete. We still have aspects to decide,” the boss confirmed.
Chuba Akpom
With Nuno potentially seeking additional firepower, recent days have seen renewed links to Chuba Akpom.
The club couldn’t finalize a deal with Ajax for the 28-year-old in January, but the extended time before this summer’s transfer deadline allows for more negotiations. Regardless of any potential agreement, Akpom has a key condition for leaving the Dutch side, to which he has shown openness.
“This week, I’ve learned to keep my focus on football. Thinking about things outside the field can be distracting,” he explained.
“I don’t know if I’ll be here next week or at the end of the transfer window, but every day I train as if I’m staying this season. I can’t spend another year as a second striker on the bench. If I get more involved in the competitions this year, I’d like to stay. If not, it might be time to explore other options. We’ll see.”
Alexis Saelemaekers
Italian media have also suggested that Forest might make an approach for AC Milan midfielder Alexis Saelemaekers, a player reportedly highly sought after in the Premier League.
Alongside Ipswich Town and Leicester City, Forest is said to have requested information from the Serie A giants before deciding whether to proceed with a move. The response indicated that with two years remaining on his contract, the Belgian would be available for a fee in the region of £8-12.5 million.
Milan prefers a permanent sale rather than another loan, having loaned him to Bologna last season.
Lazar Samardzic
Now, three recurring themes converge as Forest allegedly reignited their previous interest in another midfielder from the Italian league.
Twelve months ago, under Steve Cooper, the club had their eyes on Lazar Samardzic of Udinese. A recent report revealed that this summer, Forest submitted a new £16 million offer to the Serbian’s club, although the player himself declined the approach from the start.
Samardzic’s primary reason for rejecting the offer is his high ambition to play in the Champions League. Consequently, his search for a suitable club continues.
Anthony Elanga
As Forest struggled to stay within the Premier League’s permitted loss limits ahead of June’s accounting deadline, shocking details emerged in the late stages of the month about a potential ‘swap’ deal with Newcastle United.
The Magpies were also in a difficult financial situation and ended up selling Elliot Anderson to Nuno and Co. Discussions between the clubs included the potential transfer of Yankuba Minteh for a fee, with Anthony Elanga moving in the opposite direction.
Ultimately, neither Minteh nor Elanga made those moves, though Newcastle did sell Minteh to Brighton. This has left Newcastle even lighter in attack, and they still maintain an interest in Forest’s Swedish international.
Joe Worrall
It’s a harsh reality that heroes who helped secure a club’s promotion can be easily cast aside when competing at a higher level.
This is exactly what Joe Worrall has experienced over the past season, leading to persistent rumors of his transfer away from the City Ground. The latest news on the former captain is that relegated Sheffield United are interested and would need to pay £4 million for his services.
Murillo
In addition to complying with Profit and Sustainability Rules, the club’s efforts to offload other players have aimed at keeping Murillo away from Premier League rivals after his impressive debut season.
The club could make a substantial profit on the £11 million paid to Corinthians last summer, although selling him could risk relegation. Therefore, they hope to retain him for now, despite the challenge posed by his previous flirtation with a move 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,” Murillo said. “There might be some discussions on whether I’ll stay or not, so there’s still a lot to happen, but I’m relaxed.”
The Brazilian has commented on the idea of replacing Thiago Silva at Chelsea, whose interest is concrete after making an approach. The Blues are joined by other Premier League rivals and Juventus in their pursuit of Murillo.
Marco Friedl
Before Milenkovic’s arrival, the club was reportedly considering Werder Bremen’s Marco Friedl as another central defender option.
It remains uncertain if any further contact will be pursued now that an addition has been made in this area of the squad. However, Forest is said to have spoken with Friedl’s representatives, who conveyed that the 26-year-old is content with his current situation but harbors ambitions of playing in the Premier League someday.
Werder Bremen would seek a transfer fee of £10-15 million for Friedl and would be open to negotiations within that range.
Che Adams
Another forward to consider is Che Adams, who is currently a free agent after leaving Southampton following their promotion. The 28-year-old is actively searching for a new club, with various Premier League teams, including Forest, expressing interest. However, Forest’s delay in securing his signature earlier in the summer might work against them as the competition intensifies rapidly.
Wolves, several MLS clubs, and even teams from the Saudi Pro League are now expected to compete with Forest for Adams’ signing.
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