The January transfer window saw comings and goings at the City Ground as Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper put his stamp on the dressing room.
And with his squad in place, the focus will now very much be on mounting a promotion push in the final months of the season.
Five new arrivals bolstered the Reds’ ranks - in Keinan Davis, Steve Cook, Richie Laryea, Sam Surridge and Jonathan Panzo - while a number of players headed in the opposite direction.
Forest reporter Sarah Clapson answered fans’ questions on the transfer window in a Q&A on our Reds Facebook page. Here is how it panned out.
Q: Will Brennan Johnson now sign a new contract?
A: Keeping him in January was huge. Brentford really tried to get him, and the fact Forest turned down what would have been a club record fee was a real statement of intent.
What they do need to do now is get his contract situation sorted. Talks had hit a stalemate, which didn’t help going into January.
It would give everybody a bit of certainty if they can get new terms agreed, before he’s left with 12 months left to run in the summer.
There was no sense of any panic from the club or from the player that he hadn’t signed a new deal amid all the transfer talk.
It wasn’t as though Brennan Johnson was demanding a move. He’s very happy at Forest - he’s said that himself, and the manager has made that clear. His dad had also said the same on social media.
Throughout the month, Steve Cooper took a very strong stance and consistently said he wasn’t expecting Johnson to go anywhere.
The fact Forest stood firm on that, despite Brentford coming in with a lot of money, says a lot.
But that interest isn’t going to go away. Regardless of where Forest finish this season, teams are still going to keep looking at Johnson. There’s sure to be interest in him again in the summer, because he’s going to keep improving between now and May.
To avoid being in a similar kind of situation, Forest would do well to put themselves in a better position by getting him tied down to a new deal.
That doesn’t stop the speculation, but it means you’re in a better position when teams come calling.
There are a few players whose contracts come to an end this summer, so contract situations in general will be something Forest have to address.
Q: Good transfer window. Prefer to give chances to someone like Ateef Konate, who I think is ready and will improve under Cooper, than bid £3m for someone like Josh Bowler.
A: I’m sure we will see a few young players being given a chance between now and the end of the season.
Konate made his league debut the other week. Julian Larsson has been in and around the squad, as has Fin Back. And Oli Hammond was on the bench on Sunday.
There are a few young players who Cooper has his eye on and who he is prepared to give chances to. That’s something he’s very passionate about.
If they’re good enough and he feels they are ready, he’s got no hesitation in putting them in - even if it’s just travelling with the squad on a match day to get a taste of what’s involved, or putting them on the bench.
The manager keeps a close eye on what’s happening with the Under-23s and Under-18s, and he talks regularly to Andy Reid.
A group of younger players also train regularly with the senior squad, so they are very much on Cooper’s radar.
It can be a case of circumstances falling the right way for those players to get a chance, as happened with Konate. Lyle Taylor was not in the squad that day because he was about to go out on loan, and with other players on international duty, there was the opportunity to include Konate.
The fact Forest didn’t manage to bring a winger in during the transfer window, will give their academy players more of a chance of being involved.
They also have Joe Lolley and Alex Mighten to come back from injury.
Not bringing in certain players creates opportunities for others.
I do think Jed Wallace or Josh Bowler would have been great additions, but it’s not a huge blow that they didn’t manage to get a deal done. There was no point spending silly money to get them in - Forest have been more careful in their approach to January than that.
There wasn’t any panic buying in the window. And that’s testament to the structure they now have in place, as well as the foresight with which they approached transfers.
Q: Great window. Star players all kept, Djed Spence tied down for the season and to top it off, two fantastic deadline day signings with good potential.
A: I’d agree with that. For me, the best bit of business was keeping hold of key assets, in Johnson and Joe Worrall, and hanging on to Spence - because at one stage it did look as though he was going to be recalled.
Keeping those three was huge. And then to add other additions who can make a big difference made for a really good window.
Sam Surridge and Jonathan Panzo both look promising. They’ve both worked with Cooper before, which counts for a lot. The manager knowing what to expect and how to get the best out of them can really help when players are joining midway through the season. It gives them a better chance of hitting the ground running.
Those two are players who have potential and who can develop. That’s all part of Forest’s blueprint since Dane Murphy came in.
Also worth mentioning that the club generally haven’t handed out bumper contracts, which is something they have been guilty of in the past.
Forest have really thought through the business they have done.
Q: What are your thoughts on the summer? You’d think Spence and James Garner will be difficult to retain. Philip Zinckernagel, Max Lowe and Keinan Davis could be within reach. Lewis Grabban is out of contract, and there's a strong possibility of Johnson and Worrall being snapped up. I can’t remember the last time we carried momentum through seasons without having to rebuild.
A: The summer is going to be a completely different prospect.
January was generally about making a few tweaks to the squad, albeit five signings were made in the end. But the summer is going to be more of an overhaul.
A lot of what happens will depend on where Forest are and how this season finishes.
Spence is bound for the Premier League either way. He’s got so many clubs watching him and will have his pick of where to go in the summer, which I’m sure will delight Middlesbrough.
But some of the other loan signings, I’d expect Forest will ask the question about, and you’d imagine they’d have a better chance of getting.
Ideally, they would love not to have to rely on loans, because you end up with a hole to fill whenever they do go back to their parent clubs. But it’s very difficult not to use that market when you’re in the Championship.
As well as Grabban, a few players will be out of contract in the summer. I’m not sure there’s many of them Forest will look to keep.
I’d still offer Grabban a new short-term deal, because I think he’s difficult to replace. But it’s going to be interesting to see what happens now, following his injury.
Either way, we’re likely to see a lot of changes in the summer - incomings and outgoings. It’ll be busy, and it will be a big window for the club. The squad is bound to look very different by next season.
But there’s a long way to go before then, and a lot can happen. Where Forest finish this season will have a big impact.
