Nottingham Forest are set to be on the hunt for a new goalkeeper after reports emerged that current stopper Brice Samba wants to leave the City Ground this summer.
The Athletic have reported that Samba has said that he wants to leave Forest despite helping them earn promotion up to the Premier League last month. The 28-year-old’s contract expires in the coming weeks and he has already turned down an offer for an extension.
With Forest now back in the top flight, they will need a goalkeeper with plenty of quality to give Steve Cooper’s side every chance of avoiding relegation in their first Premier League campaign since the 1998/99 campaign.
Here Mirror Football has looked at three options Forest should consider when lining up potential targets.
Nick Pope
Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope is likely to be on the move this summer following the Clarets’ relegation from the Premier League. A number of clubs have been linked with interest in the 30-year-old, who has eight England caps to his name.
Pope has just a year left on his contract at Turf Moor and has been a regular in the Premier League, playing 141 times in the last five seasons in England’s top-flight, keeping 47 clean sheets.
His career percentage record of 33.3% clean sheets in the Premier League is better than the likes of David James, Mark Schwarzer and Brad Friedel, who are all in the top 10 for clean sheets in Premier League history, making him a smart player to target, with Burnley expected to cash in on assets in order to pay off significant loans that they currently owe.
Dean Henderson
Manchester United ’s Dean Henderson briefly lowered David de Gea down the pecking order at Old Trafford during the 2020/21 season. However, Henderson was frozen out last term and did not make a single appearance in the Premier League.
Henderson has been linked with a move away due to his lack of game time last term, with Newcastle United reportedly interested, although it is understood that the Magpies are not looking to bolster their goalkeeping options this summer.
With Henderson keen to get back playing and hopefully sneak back into the England set-up before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar this winter, a move to Forest could suit all parties. Henderson will undoubtedly be keen to get his career back on track after shining in both the Premier League and Championship on loan with Sheffield United.
Sam Johnstone
Who should Nottingham Forest sign to replace Brice Samba? Have your say in the comments section.
Three-time England international Sam Johnstone is a free agent after choosing not to extend his contract at West Bromwich Albion. Johnstone has spent the past four years at The Hawthorns, playing three seasons in the Championship and one in the Premier League.
The out-of-contract 29-year-old kept six clean sheets in his sole Premier League campaign in the Premier League, as well as keeping 39 shutouts in 130 Championship matches for the Baggies, a percentage rate of 30% in his last three second-tier campaigns.
Johnstone, like Henderson, will be aiming for a strong opening few months of next season having also been on the fringes of the England squad. Given his availability on a free transfer, a move would likely appeal to Forest.
