Owner Evangelos Marinakis has made it clear that Nottingham Forest are getting ready to dip into the transfer market again next month.
The Reds will hope to pick up from where they left off in the Premier League, having seemingly turned a corner prior to the World Cup break and having returned to action with a Carabao Cup victory over Blackburn Rovers. But they are still in a precarious position in the table and know reinforcements are needed.
Brazilian Gustavo Scarpa will come into contention when his contract officially kicks in on January 1. Further additions are on the cards, however.
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It could be that Forest’s first pieces of January business involve sanctioning departures, though. Here is a look at the current state of play.
On the way out?
Summer signing Loic Bade looks set to leave the City Ground without making a single first-team appearance. His loan from Rennes is expected to be cut short, ahead of linking up with Sevilla for the second half of the campaign.
Rennes boss Bruno Genesio has said: "At the moment it's not confirmed, but it should happen in the next few days. I hope so, for him, because he needs to play.
"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. He came close to joining Fenerbahce in the summer and has struggled to force his way into head coach Steve Cooper’s thinking since then. A loan to French side Guingamp is reportedly being discussed.
It is likely the duo will not be the only players to leave. Cafu and Lyle Taylor were left out of the 25-man squad when the summer window closed. It would be a surprise if the pair’s situations has changed come January, while Harry Arter has not been part of the first-team set-up for some time.
Beyond that, the number of additions Forest make will have an impact. Scarpa will take the place of the injured Giulian Biancone in the 25-man Premier League squad. But given the Reds are already at the required limit, further additions would mean others having to make way.
Potential incomings
"We will try to get at least an additional two players which will help us,” Marinakis has said. “That is the plan for the technical team and coaching staff, but we believe in the players we already have.”
Cooper took time to discuss transfer plans with recently-appointed sporting director Filippo Giraldi during the break. Both the Welshman and Marinakis have emphasised that any deals done - just as was the case in the summer - will be for “the right reasons”.
“We had to do what we did in the summer. If we have to do something in January - ins and outs - we’ll do it for what we hope is the right reasons. For me, it’s not like a joined-up thing,” Cooper has said.
There are clear areas where the Reds will look to strengthen. And their injury situation will also come into consideration, given Biancone will miss the rest of the season, Omar Richards and Moussa Niakhate are making progress but will not be rushed back, and midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate is expected to be sidelined for at least the next two months. As such, bolstering attacking resources will be key, but midfield and central defence will also be looked at.
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,” Marinakis 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.”
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 the 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 Jesse Lingard will also see their contracts expire in 2023, while Serge Aurier’s deal is believed to run until then, too.
For those who Forest 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.
What transfer business should Forest do in January? Have your say in the comments below
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