Nottingham Forest are absolutely endowed with offensive talent among their current forwards. The guys in Garibaldi Red have been on fire this season, and they currently sit third in the Premier League.
Chris Wood has surely remembered his shooting boots this season. The New Zealand striker is the Forest’s most productive player, scoring 13 goals in all competitions this season, more than any of his teammates combined.
The midfield three behind him is similarly productive. Callum Hudson-Odoi has four goals this season, Morgan Gibbs-White has seven, and Anthony Elanga has eight goals and assists.
Incredibly, it appears like Forest may be trying to add additional firepower to their already lethal attack with one Premier League player.
Nottingham Forest’s Search for a Striker
The player in question is Bretford forward Yoane Wissa. The DR Congo attacker has been on fire this season for the Bees, but he could leave the club before the transfer market closes in February.
At least, it is what The Telegraph’s John Percy reported. Forest are likely to ‘explore a move’ for the 28-year-old in the coming days, as they try to strengthen their attacking depth if Taiwo Awoniyi departs.
However, they will not be alone in their pursuit of the Brentford star. Arsenal, one of only two sides above Forest in the Premier League league, has the forward on their list of new attacking prospects. At this point, the attacker’s price remains unknown.
Why Wissa would make a solid signing
Wissa has had an outstanding season so far in 2024/25, playing up front for the Bees alongside Bryan Mbuemo. The pair have improved significantly since Ivan Toney left the club in the summer to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli.
In 18 Premier League outings this season, Wissa has scored 11 goals and assisted twice.
He has scored and assisted numerous goals in four games, including two key strikes against Bournemouth that helped his team win 3-2. According to football commentator Ben Mattinson, he has been “massively underrated”.
The DR Congo star might be a wonderful long-term replacement for Awoniyi. The Nigerian striker appears to be on his way to Forest, with Percy claiming he is a ‘target’ for West Ham but they have yet to make a move.
Although the former Union Berlin striker has shown some potential in the Garibaldi Red shirt, scoring 18 goals in 71 games for the team, he has not performed well this season.
He has only scored once in 16 Premier League games this season, and it came in a recent 3-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
In reality, when comparing the pair’s statistics over the last two and a half seasons, since Awoniyi initially moved to the Premier League, it is clear that Wissa has more quality than the Forest number nine.
For example, according to FBref, the Brentford attacker averages 2.31 shots and 0.36 goal-creating activities per game. In comparison, Awoniyi has an average of 2.19 shots and 0.34 goal-creating actions.
Although the numbers are close, Wissa is a better dribbler. The Bees’ number 11 averages 1.66 progressive carries per game, while the Nigerian striker averages 1.01 per 90 minutes.
Given his impressive form this season, Wissa appears to be a significant upgrade over Awoniyi, who appears destined to leave the club. He would undoubtedly contribute to the attacking firepower at the City Ground this season.
The former Lorient star could be exactly the player Forest are looking for to help spur them on to Champions League qualification.
