Nottingham Forest transfer verdict as Sean Dyche’s Reds reflect on relatively quiet winter window
Head coach Sean Dyche oversees Nottingham Forest training(Image: PA)
Even before the window had opened, Nottingham Forest head coach Sean Dyche had set out his expectation for what might be ahead.
“I think it is unlikely to be a big window. That is usually the case anyway in the history of the January window, but I think it is unlikely (to be busy),” he said back in December.
“I think after the big investment in the summer it will be a slow window, but you never know. You have got to be aware of the shifting sands of the market, which we certainly will be.”
Dyche was proved right. The Reds ended the window with just three new faces through the City Ground doors.
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Striker Lorenzo Lucca joined on loan from Napoli, goalkeeper Stefan Ortega made the switch from Manchester City and left-back Luca Netz completed a deadline day move from Borussia Monchengladbach. Arnaud Kalimuendo (on loan to Eintracht Frankfurt), Douglas Luiz and Oleksandr Zinchenko proved the notable outgoings – with Luiz and Zinchenko having their loans cut short.
Forest were not able to tick off everything on their shopping list – they had been eyeing another striker and a midfielder. But there was no last-minute panic-buying or splashing the cash for the sake of it. In windows gone by, perhaps that would have been the case.
This might not necessarily have been the perfect window, but perhaps it could be described as a measured one. The signings made are low risk and come with minimal initial outlay.
In the cases of Lucca, where there is an option to buy, and Ortega, whose contract runs until the end of the season, the club will be able to make an informed judgement on them when time has passed. Netz was brought in for a fee in the region of £2 million, with the fact he was coming to the end of his contract counting in Forest’s favour.
Netz is only 22 but already has a fair bit of experience under his belt so has the makings of being a decent prospect. He will provide cover in an area where it was really needed.
January windows are always difficult to operate in. They can also come with inflated transfer fees – as Crystal Palace have found out with the reported £48m package for Jorgen Strand Larsen.
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The former Wolverhampton Wanderers man was on Forest’s radar at one point. Even if it could be argued another striker would have been helpful, splashing that amount of cash would surely not have been sensible.
There will be better business to be done in the summer. The challenge then might be the Reds have to do a fair bit of it. In an ideal world they could have done with ensuring they are well equipped to cope when other clubs come calling for the likes of Murillo and Elliot Anderson.
The club were certainly keen on bringing in a midfielder. A deal for Davide Frattesi was blocked due to Inter Milan not being able to sign Liverpool’s Curtis Jones as a replacement. Meanwhile, three bids were rejected for Celtic’s Arne Engels – perhaps that is one to be revisited in a few months’ time.
Forest did manage to do some sensible business in key areas, though. They also didn’t lose any of their key players – albeit a case could be made that they should have held on to Arnaud Kalimuendo – but they did let loanees Douglas Luiz and Oleksandr Zinchenko go.
Have the Reds got enough for now, though? Have they got enough to get them over the line for Premier League survival and make a push in the Europa League? Time will be the judge of that, but they should certainly have sufficient resources for the former and to give it a good go in the latter.
“The squad in general is good,” Dyche had said prior to deadline day. “We are being linked with loads of players so we’ll see which ones we can land. There’s two or three I know of, but it doesn’t mean we’re going to get them and it doesn’t mean we are going to sign all of them either.”
Full list of Forest players on the books (including injured players but excluding those out on loan)
Goalkeepers: Matz Sels, Angus Gunn, John Victor, Stefan Ortega.
Full-backs: Neco Williams, Ola Aina, Eric da Silva Moreira, Nicolo Savona, Luca Netz, Cuiabano.
Centre-backs: Murillo, Nikola Milenkovic, Morato, Willy Boly, Jair Cunha, Zach Abbott.
Midfielders: Ryan Yates, Nicolas Dominguez, Ibrahim Sangare, Elliot Anderson
Attacking midfielders/wingers: Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Dan Ndoye, Omari Hutchinson, James McAtee, Dilane Bakwa.
Strikers: Igor Jesus, Taiwo Awoniyi, Chris Wood, Lorenzo Lucca.
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