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Nottingham Post

Sport

Sarah Clapson

Nottingham Forest January transfer window state of play: incomings, contract decisions and more

Forest Steve Cooper Nottingham (Organization) Nottingham Forest Jesse Lingard Evangelos Marinakis Giulian Biancone Cafu Cheikhou Kouyate Gustavo Scarpa

For any pundits rubbing their hands together at the prospect of questioning Nottingham Forest’s transfer policy again, Steve Cooper already has his retort.

The window has not even officially opened yet, but the Reds head coach knows the headlines which will follow as soon as any new signings are announced. So he has got in there first and made it clear that, just as in the summer, the club have little choice but to dip into the market again.

Forest are still in the bottom three; they need reinforcements to help them get out of there. And they also have an injury list which has grown in the last few weeks with key players either still sidelined or now facing a period out of action.

What has been said?

Owner Evangelos Marinakis, who was in attendance at Old Trafford for Tuesday night’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester United, has already pledged “at least an additional two players” will be targeted. The key words there are “at least”.

Next month will not see the same volume of arrivals as in the summer, when 22 new faces came in, but there will be a handful of signings. They will be in addition to Gustavo Scarpa, who has already linked up with the squad ahead of officially becoming a Reds player.

The World Cup break was a chance for Cooper to talk through plans with sporting director Filippo Giraldi. And there continues to be constant communication on the subject between Marinakis, the club’s hierarchy and Cooper.

Injuries will have a significant impact on how the window shapes up at the City Ground. And, as ever, that could still change - for better or worse - right up until the deadline.

Cooper said after losing to United: “I think we will bring some players in. You say it through gritted teeth a little bit because everybody is like, ‘Oh, here we go again’. But we can’t be ashamed of that. We’re not. We had to do what we felt was right in the summer.

“The reality is Morgan Gibbs-White is injured, Cheikhou Kouyate has picked up a long-term injury at the World Cup, Jesse [Lingard] has walked off, Moussa Niakhate is injured, Giulian Biancone is injured - and they are long-term injuries. You have to look at the squad for where it is at this moment in time and talk about what you want it to look like going forward.

“We can’t think about going forward on what happened in the summer; we’ve got to look forward in terms of what we think it takes to improve the squad to compete game in, game out.”

How does the squad look?

A timeline on Gibbs-White’s recovery from a calf muscle problem is currently “inconclusive”. Omar Richards has suffered “a little bit of a setback” in his recovery from a hairline fracture of a leg and appears to be some way off even joining in training. Giulian Biancone is out for the rest of the season, Cheikhou Kouyate until March and Moussa Niakhate remains out of action.

Additionally, Forest will hope Lingard has not suffered anything too serious. He was forced off against his former club, having played with heavy strapping around his right thigh. Cooper said afterwards Lingard was “feeling, hopefully, fatigue in his hamstring”.

Anything more substantial and the club’s January plans may have to change again. At present, bolstering in midfield, centre-back and attack are their priorities, but they need to make sure they have sufficient resources to cope with absentees. Squad depth looked a little light at Old Trafford, particularly when a replacement was needed for Lingard.

“Just because we had a busy summer transfer window doesn’t mean we won’t be able to do anything in this window,” Cooper has said. “But at the same time, we have got to make decisions which we think are right for the squad going forward for the last stage of the season. That’s what we’ll focus on.”

Marinakis is an ambitious man. He will make funds available in a bid to avoid the prospect of relegation. The winter window will not be anywhere near as busy as the summer one was, but a few considered additions could be crucial in the fight for survival.

“It’s very important to deliver what you say and promise, and I have done that throughout my life to achieve success. I will continue to do it,” the Greek has said. “You have to remember it is 23 years since Forest were last in the top division. We will not rest as we want the club to be higher than it is now.

“The competition and opponents are much stronger now but we are very optimistic for the future. The immediate goal is to stay in the division and to be better in all areas.”

Ins and outs

Forest are already over the 25-man Premier League squad limit, with Cafu, Lyle Taylor and Harry Arter having not been included after the summer window closed. All three remain on the books, but could well find themselves moving on next month.

Scarpa will take the place of Biancone in the squad list, but any further incomings would require others having to make way.

There is a delicate balance to strike, however, given the nature of the club’s injury situation. Letting too many fringe players go could leave the Reds short if any of their long-term absentees miss even more of the campaign than hoped. The alternative would be to create space in the squad by leaving some of the injured players out, but that, too, would have its drawbacks.

Loic Bade’s loan from Rennes looks set to be cut short, which would free up another spot. He is expected to link up with Sevilla for the second half of the campaign.

Rennes boss Bruno Genesio has said: "He didn't play at Nottingham and he needs to find more playing time. For him it would be a great opportunity to do it in a great league like the Spanish one and in a good team like Sevilla, with a good coach."

Fellow defender Loic Mbe Soh also seems ready to head elsewhere, being linked with a loan to French side Guingamp. He came close to joining Fenerbahce in the summer and has struggled to force his way into Cooper’s thinking since then. He was among the registered under-21 players eligible over and above the 25-man limit, however, so would not leave a place open if he does depart.

It remains to be seen whether the Reds reignite interest in midfielder Yunus Musah. A summer bid is said to have been turned down, but reports have suggested Valencia are willing to consider offers in January.

He is a player Cooper likes and knows well, having worked with him in the England youth set-up. Given Musah impressed at the World Cup, he is likely to have made a few potential suitors sit up and take note.

Lassana Coulibaly and Jefferson Lerma are among other midfielders linked with a City Ground move. Versatile Union Berlin attacker Sheraldo Becker is another name to have cropped up.

Contract decisions

Forest have several players whose deals will come to an end in the summer. January would be the club’s final opportunity to cash-in, if they are considering selling.

Cafu and Taylor are both in that category. Jordan Smith, Jack Colback and Lingard will also see their contracts expire in 2023, while Serge Aurier’s deal is believed to run until then, too.

For those who the Reds are not considering letting go in the winter window, a decision will need to be made at some point over whether to offer fresh terms. If not, those players would be able to walk away for nothing once the season has finished.