The January window has not long been closed, but the next round of key transfer decisions will soon be around the corner for Nottingham Forest.
Much of what happens in the summer will depend on which division the Reds find themselves in as they fight to retain their Premier League status. They are currently six points above the relegation zone with 16 games left to play.
Whatever transpires between now and May, changes are sure to be afoot at the City Ground come the end of the season - although it is unlikely to be anywhere near as busy as last summer. With that in mind, we take a look at some of the big calls Forest will soon have to make.
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Contract decisions
A number of players will see their deals expire in a few months’ time. The club must decide whether to put forward fresh terms or whether to let those players walk away.
Given they have not been part of the 25-man Premier League squad in either the first or second half of the season, Lyle Taylor and Cafu will likely depart. Likewise, Jordan Smith, who went on loan to Huddersfield Town in January and will no doubt hope there is an opportunity there.
Head coach Steve Cooper has been very coy on the futures of Jack Colback and Jesse Lingard, in particular, saying any discussions are on the back-burner for the time being. He has praised the roles both continue to play this season, though.
Serge Aurier has also been a key figure this term, and if the Reds stay up it would make sense to tie him down to a new deal. The same applies for Renan Lodi, with Forest holding an option to make his loan move permanent, while Andre Ayew only penned a short-term deal when he joined as a free agent last month.
Keeper conundrum
The goalkeeping position is one which will need to be given thought to. Cooper will likely have a selection headache to address before then, of course, when Dean Henderson returns to fitness - the Manchester United loanee will have a fight on his hands to oust Keylor Navas from between the posts.
Both will go back to their respective parent clubs at the end of the campaign. However, the Reds are said to be planning to make Henderson a top summer target.
Even if they are able to sign him permanently, they would still need to establish a third senior goalkeeper (with Wayne Hennessey tied down until 2024) - whether that be offering Smith a new contract or finding an alternative.
Ethan Horvath has spent this season on loan at Luton Town as he was keen for regular game time. And youngster Adnan Kanuric joined Oxford City on loan last month.
Loan returns
There is always some sort of turnover in summer windows. Forest have a number of players currently out on loan who will return to the City Ground at the end of the campaign.
Their futures will need to be addressed. Decisions will need to be made over whether they can have a part to play in the Garibaldi, whether another loan is best or whether the time is right for them to move on.
Tyrese Fornah, for example, has already indicated he would be open to joining Reading permanently. Loic Mbe Soh could also fall into that category, having struggled to force his way into contention. He is spending the second half of this term with Guingamp, with his contract up in 2024.
It will be interesting to see what happens with Josh Bowler, in particular. Having immediately joined fellow Evangelos Marinakis-owned side Olympiacos after putting pen to paper for the Reds, that spell was cut short and he headed back to Blackpool.
It is not just players out on loan who Forest will need to make decisions over. Cooper has said the door is not closed on Steve Cook after he was left out of the 25-man squad, but there was interest in the defender in January and he will have 12 months left on his contract come the summer - as will fellow centre-backs Joe Worrall and Scott McKenna. Meanwhile, midfielder Lewis O’Brien remains in limbo after the collapse of his deadline day move to Blackburn Rovers.
Reignite interest?
When it comes to potential summer targets, among them, the Reds must weigh up whether to revive their interest in highly-rated Brazilian teenager Angelo Gabriel. A push was made to sign him last month, but the attacker remained at Santos.
He seemingly has a long line of clubs keen on him, though. Flamengo, Barcelona, AC Milan, PSG, Manchester City and Liverpool have all been linked.
Reports have suggested there is a 60 million euro (roughly £52m) clause in his contract. And it has also been claimed Barcelona have a first refusal on the 18-year-old.
What summer transfer business should Forest look to do? Have your say in the comments below
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