A player desired by Nottingham Forest in August 2023 is now officially off the table for the current transfer window.
It was a late night for the football club on transfer deadline day last summer.
Forest had a lot of holes to fill in their roster, but they ended up acquiring six more players on deadline day as the window closed.
Striker Divock Origi was among those who joined the mad sprint at the last minute, but he was not the club’s first choice.
Miltos, Evangelos Marinakis’ son, had expressed interest in the striker, but any trade for him this summer is now out of the question.
A player wanted by Nottingham Forest last year has joined a new team.
Michy Batshuayi was the striker Forest targeted on August 2023’s transfer deadline.
Miltos Marinakis touted the former Chelsea player as a potential big-name addition.
Instead, he remained with Fenerbahce, and Forest swiftly turned their attention to recruiting Origi on loan from AC Milan.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Batshuayi has signed with Galatasaray, and Forest fans may breathe a sense of relief.
The Belgium striker has appeared 77 times in the Premier League, including spells with Chelsea and Crystal Palace, scoring 15 goals.
His record in Europe has been mostly positive, but signing him for a faltering Premier League club would have been a risk.
Last season, he scored 24 goals for Fenerbahce, but the Turkish Super Lig cannot be compared to the Premier League.
Forest require a different profile of striker this summer.
Given that Chris Wood is 32 and Taiwo Awoniyi is struggling to stay fit, Forest could sign a new striker this summer.
However, they must move on from this profile of non-scoring strikers who are essentially journeymen looking for a good income.
Forest might use a younger striker who they can sign cheaply and resell for a huge profit later on.
A younger forward could be ideal, and if the club can find one with a track record of scoring goals in the Premier League, that would be even better.
After the Origi catastrophe last season, the days of signing players like Batshuayi must come to an end.
