Nottingham Forest have announced their retained list, following the end of their promotion-winning campaign.
The Reds have four players whose contracts expire at the end of this month. And three of them have been let go.
Defenders Tobias Figueiredo, Gaetan Bong and Carl Jenkinson will depart the City Ground. However, the club are in talks with Lewis Grabban about a new deal, with the striker having missed the final weeks of the season because of injury.
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In addition to the above defensive trio heading out the exit door, loanees Djed Spence (Middlesbrough), Philip Zinckernagel (Watford), Max Lowe (Sheffield United), James Garner (Manchester United) and Keinan Davis (Aston Villa) have returned to their parent sides. However, Forest will try to bring at least some of them back; CEO Dane Murphy having made clear he wants to keep “the band of brothers” together.
Figueiredo leaves Trentside after making 122 appearances in the Garibaldi, scoring three goals. He penned a four-year deal in 2018 when a loan turned into a permanent move.
The Portuguese came close to a January deadline day switch to Vitoria this year, only for the deal to collapse at the last minute. He found himself down the pecking order following the arrival of Steve Cook that month, but impressed when stepping in while the former Bournemouth centre-back was sidelined, playing his part in achieving promotion.
Bong joined the Reds in January 2020 and featured 20 times for the club. Although just four of those appearances came under Steve Cooper, the head coach often pointed to the full-back’s influence in the dressing room. Jenkinson, meanwhile, had not been part of the first-team set-up for some time. He arrived from Arsenal in the summer of 2019, but managed just 15 run-outs.
The right-back’s last appearance came in January 2021, in a 5-1 FA Cup defeat away to Swansea City. This term, he has been on loan at Melbourne City.
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Forest say: “The club would like to thank Tobias, Gaetan and Carl for their contribution during their time at the City Ground and wish them well for the future. Five loan players, Keinan Davis, Philip Zinckernagel, Max Lowe, Djed Spence and James Garner, have also returned to their parent clubs upon the expiry of their loan deals on Trentside. The club would like to thank these players for their excellent contribution in helping us win promotion to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years.”
Should Grabban agree fresh terms, it would extend his four-year stay at the club. He has made 149 appearances and scored 56 goals.
During the campaign just gone, he found the net 13 times, and would no doubt have added to that tally but for injury. Cooper has praised the job he has done as captain, and the front man was at Wembley to lift the play-off trophy with Joe Worrall.
Academy players Marcelo Valencia, Josh Barnes, Baba Fernandes, Sam Sanders, Morgan Thomas-Sadler and Joe Watkins will also be released, following the expiration of their contracts. Options have been taken up on Under-23s pair Billy Fewster and Aaron Donnelly to extend their deals by a year, while Riley Harbottle has been offered fresh terms.
The publication of the retained list comes as the summer transfer window officially opens. Forest face a busy period ahead as they prepare for the Premier League, with further outgoings, as well as incomings, expected.
