Nottingham Forest’s pursuit of Yoane Wissa and Matheus Cunha has been well documented, but Nuno Espirito Santo still has other offensive alternatives open.
With Forest contemplating a club-record bid for Cunha, the signing of the Brazilian appears to be the main story of the club’s January transfer window as deadline day approaches.
Cunha has been the primary focus after Brentford rejected Forest’s proposal for Wissa, making the Wolves player appear to be the easier of the two transactions for Evangelos Marinakis to accomplish.
Marinakis wants to buy a striker in January to help Chris Wood score goals, thus he will most likely go all out to match Wolves’ new transfer valuation for Cunha.
However, prior to the window, there was widespread speculation that Forest would be interested in signing a winger, with one option in particular appearing to be receptive to a transfer to the City Ground.
Baris Yilmaz ‘warmly embraces’ Nottingham Forest
They expressed interest in Baris Yilmaz in January, but the focus has been on strikers this month.
However, according to a report by Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak, Yilmaz is really interested in moving to Forest.
According to the source, Yilmaz “warmly welcomes” any interest from Forest after impressing many Premier League clubs with his performances at the European Championships in 2024.
He was one of the bright spots on an incredibly offensive Turkish team, winning man of the match in his country’s group-stage triumph over Czechia.
The Turkish media also reported that Forest had a proposal for Yilmaz rejected in January, so Marinakis’ interest is unlikely to fade, although there is one significant caveat to any January pursuit of the Galatasaray winger.
Galatasaray is reluctant to see Baris Yilmaz go in January.
According to Sabah, Galatasaray are unwilling to allow Yilmaz depart during the January transfer window, preferring a summer deal.
West Ham and Forest have been circling Yilmaz, but both teams will need to be patient if they are serious about signing the winger, who has 11 goals this season.
Waiting until the summer is arguably the best option for the Forest owner, as pursuing Cunha will cost a large amount of money, leaving no finances for Yilmaz.
With Espirito Santo and his Forest coaching staff still pursuing the dream of European football, acquiring Yilmaz at the conclusion of the season as an extra offensive dimension might be crucial in maintaining the forward impetus on display at the City Ground.
