He departed Nottingham Forest for £4 million in the summer of 2022.
The 2021/22 season will live long in the memory of Nottingham Forest fans, as the club ended their 23-year Premier League absence by defeating Huddersfield Town at Wembley Stadium owing to a Levi Colwill own goal.
Steve Cooper succeeded Chris Hughton after the former Brighton manager was fired following six defeats and one tie in the first seven Championship games.
The former Swansea manager achieved a remarkable comeback by leading the Reds to the Premier League after taking over a team that was at the bottom of England’s second division.
During the promotion campaign, loanees Djed Spence, Keinan Davis, and James Garner became popular among Forest fans.
However, one player solidified his place as a club icon with his performance in the play-off semi-final, which allowed the Reds to advance to Wembley and achieve promotion.
How much did Nottingham Forest pay for Brice Samba?
The Reds agreed to buy French shot-stopper Brice Samba from Ligue 1 side Caen in the summer of 2019 for an undisclosed cost of around £1.8 million.
Samba became the Reds’ third first-team goalkeeper following Aro Muric and Luke Steele, with the Frenchman initially being a backup to the Manchester City loanee.
However, the Marseille goalkeeper immediately established himself at the City Ground, becoming the Reds’ number one under Sabri Lamouchi, in a season in which the club memorably missed out on the play-offs on the penultimate day.
He remained the club’s number one for the next few years, making 125 games.
Brice Samba: Debut starting XI
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Fleetwood (League Cup)
GK – Brice Samba
RB – Carl Jenkinson
CB – Joe Worrall
CB – Tobias Figuiredo
LB – Yuri Ribeiro
CM – Samba Sow
CM – John Bostock
CM – Tiago Silva
RW – Arvin Appiah
LW – Sammy Ameobi
ST – Rafa Mir
Arguably, his most outstanding performance at the club came in his penultimate game, a play-off semi-final win over Sheffield United. Samba made three key saves throughout normal and extra time before becoming a hero in the penalty shootout.
He saved penalty kicks from Oliver Norwood, Conor Hourihane, and current Forest player Morgan Gibbs-White, propelling the team to the new Wembley Stadium for the first time since its construction in 2007.
Brice Samba’s transfer value in 2024.
Following the play-off victory, Samba left the City Ground, desiring to return to his birthplace. He then joined Lens for a fee around £4 million. His performance for the French club earned them a Champions League spot ahead of this season, a true highlight of his impact in Ligue 1.
Nearly two years after his departure, Samba’s market value has risen to £24 million, according to Football Transfers, with the Reds wishing they had kept the premier shot-stopper.
The Reds have struggled to replace Samba, with players like Dean Henderson and Keylor Navas momentarily filling the position before returning to their respective clubs last summer. The team spent £20 million on goalkeepers this summer, signing Matt Turner and Odysseas Vlachodimos from Arsenal and Benfica, respectively.
Neither has able to secure the top spot at the City Ground, with the club severely needing Samba’s shot-stopping and distributing skills. They now rely on Matz Sels, who came during the January transfer window.
