Latest Nottingham Forest news as Nuno Espirito Santo’s Reds make a hectic start to a vital summer.
It’s been little more than a fortnight since Nottingham Forest ended a rollercoaster of a season, but things haven’t been quiet at the City Ground since.
On May 19, head coach Nuno Espirito Santo, his coaching staff, players, and club officials gathered in front of the away end at Turf Moor to celebrate their safety. It wasn’t easy getting over the line, but a third consecutive season in the Premier League was assured with a final-day victory over Burnley.
Nuno stated that he will commemorate the achievement with a few beers and a day off. In actuality, Trentside will have had little time to recuperate. Attention will have rapidly shifted to 2024/25.
Forest will aim to push forward next term. That was supposed to be the goal this time, but the Reds ended up battling near the bottom of the table once more.
A busy summer awaits. Here’s what’s transpired since the final whistle rang on that lovely day in Lancashire.
Exits confirmed.
A few days after their 2-1 victory over the Clarets, Forest revealed that some players would be departing the club. Felipe, the center-back, had already stated that he would be retiring, and goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey and midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate’s contracts would also expire.
It was also revealed that Gio Reyna, Divock Origi, Nuno Tavares, Gonzalo Montiel, and Rodrigo Ribeiro’s loan periods were ended. Except for Reyna, all of their trades had the option for the Reds to make their moves permanent, which they chose not to do.
A few weeks later, Forest confirmed that Harry Arter, Scott McKenna, and Loic Mbe Soh would all leave as free agents this summer. Additionally, academy players Kevin Adueni, Tony Gbopo, Ethan Hull, Ateef Konate, Henry Lister, Elijah Morgan, and Theo Robinson have been released.
Nuno made it plain in January that he preferred to work with a small group. The club made progress in trimming numbers during the winter window, and the confirmation of their retained list marks the beginning of the Portuguese squad’s development this summer.
Putting pen to paper.
Two players have been retained on after their contracts expire at the end of this month. Defenders Ola Aina and Willy Boly will both stay put.
On the same day that Felipe, Kouyate, and Hennessey announced their departures, it was established that Boly and Aina were not leaving. The two had played important roles in avoiding relegation.
Boly agreed to a one-year contract that will keep him at the City Ground until the summer of 2025, with the club having an option for a second year. Forest exercised a one-year extension option in Aina’s contract.
Transfer conversation
The summer transfer window will officially open on June 14. However, since the end of the season, the rumour mill has been in full swing.
Incomings and outgoings are expected in the following weeks. A large sale must be completed by the end of this month, with the next Profitability and Sustainability Rules assessment period spanning three years to June 30.
With that in mind, it’s no surprise that there’s been a lot of talk concerning coveted assets Morgan Gibbs-White and Murillo. The former has been connected with Tottenham Hotspur, among others. Murillo is being tracked by Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United.
Spurs have also been linked with winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, West Ham United with forward Taiwo Awoniyi, while Sheffield United are interested in Joe Worrall. Potential targets have included midfielders Florentino Luis and Mandela Keita, left-back Bradley Locko, defender Logan Costa, and goalkeeper Bento.
Manager conjecture.
The summer buzz hasn’t simply been about who could depart and who could come to Trentside. Nuno’s future as head coach has also come into question.
The 50-year-old made a mysterious remark during his final pre-match press conference of the season. When asked if he intended to be part of Evangelos Marinakis’ huge vision for the club, he simply said, “I’m here now.”
Rumours began to circulate following the battle at Burnley. Prior to Vincent Kompany’s appointment, Nuno was connected with Bayern Munich, and clubs in Portugal and Spain were thought to be monitoring his situation.
Meanwhile, Forest were thought to be interested in former Brighton and Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi and Fiorentina’s Vincenzo Italiano. However, the rumours have subsequently subsided.
FA charge
The Football Association charged the team last week with failing to control its fans during a March loss to Liverpool. The FA has already fined the Reds and their coach Steven Reid after the 1-0 defeat provoked heated scenes after the final whistle, and Forest has now been sanctioned once again.
According to an FA statement, Nottingham Forest FC has been charged with misconduct for crowd control during their Premier League encounter against Liverpool FC on Saturday, March 2. It is claimed that Nottingham Forest FC failed to ensure that its spectators and/or supporters (including anyone claiming to be supporters or followers) acted in an orderly manner, did not engage in inappropriate, threatening, or offensive behavior, and/or did not commit any type of pitch intrusion. Nottingham Forest FC has until Friday, June 7 to answer.
On the day, Forest were upset that they did not receive the ball back despite having possession when play was halted for a possible head injury to Ibrahima Konate in the 97th minute. Referee Paul Tierney decided for a drop-ball at Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher’s feet, and the visitors won a corner, from which Darwin Nunez scored the winner.
The final whistle sounded, and chaos erupted. Reid was sent off, Felipe, an unused substitute, was booked, and owner Evangelos Marinakis was present on the pitch.
City Ground’s latest
The controversy surrounding the Reds’ next home continues. The club and Nottingham City Council, which owns the property where the stadium is located, have reached an impasse over rent and a new lease.
As a result, chairman Tom Cartledge announced last month that alternate sites were being investigated. He mentioned Toton as a possible location, which was previously planned for the now-defunct HS2 project and is on property held by Nottinghamshire County Council.
However, the City Council said in early June that talks with Forest were still ongoing. It read: “Nottingham City Council and Nottingham Forest continue to collaborate on the future of the City Ground.
“Constructive discussions are taking place in a confidential setting. Both the Council and Nottingham Forest will issue a statement after these are completed, and we will make no more comments until then.
