Nottingham Forest have been disappointed at every turn in their search of another attacker in January, but Evangelos Marinakis is determined to improve his team.
Forest appeared to be focusing on a striker, especially when West Ham’s interest in Taiwo Awoniyi appeared to grow during the transfer season.
However, West Ham have moved on from Awoniyi, limiting both Forest’s squad space and financial resources to acquire a third striker for Nuno Espirito Santo.
This makes Forest’s interest in Yoane Wissa appear unlikely to progress, leaving Marinakis with the question of what position he can actually strengthen for Forest in January.
Forest have also been connected with a wide player, with Millwall’s Romain Esse being one of the favored options. However, Esse has picked Crystal Palace over Forest, adding weight to a recent story claiming that the two clubs will compete with Fiorentina for the signing of another promising winger.
Nottingham Forest set their sights on ‘luxury’ Luis Henrique
According to Firenze Viola, Forest are prepared to compete with Fiorentina for the recruitment of Botofogo prospect Luiz Henrique.
According to the source, Henrique has “given his approval” to the Italian team for a potential move to Florence, but the club has yet to agree on a cost with Botafogo.
With Forest thought to be interested in the winger, the source indicated “strong pressure” from the Premier League club, which is likely to be in a stronger financial situation than Fiorentina.
According to the article, Henrique may be a “luxury reserve” option for Espirito Santo, similar to a striker like Wissa if he continues to play at the City Ground.
However, Henrique’s age, combined with his extremely optimistic statistics for Botofogo, implies that he could be an attractive option for the Forest management.
How does Luiz Henrique compare to Yoane Wissa?
At 24, Henrique has four years on Wissa to prove he can outperform the Brentford player in the Premier League. Positively, his Botofogo figures from last season were a step in the right direction.
| Statistic | Yoane Wissa | Luiz Henrique |
| Goals | 12 | 12 |
| Assists | 2 | 5 |
| Successful dribbles per 90 | 0.39 | 3.21 |
| Shots on target per 90 | 1.42 | 0.81 |
| Chances created per 90 | 0.77 | 1.13 |
Wissa is clearly the more consistent goalscorer, as Henrique took 55 games to score as many goals as the Congolese forward in half a season. However, the Brazilian star has a stronger artistic flair.
If the Forest coaching staff is seeking for an attacking option that they now lack, Henrique’s better dribbling and chance-creating ability may make him a good fit.
Marinakis appears to be likely to sanction only one forward move as Awoniyi’s future remains at the City Ground, with both Wissa and Henrique providing dramatically different choices for the Forest owner to ponder.
