No sooner has one big transfer window closed than Nottingham Forest will soon have to start looking ahead to another one.
Given their position in the Premier League, there was much at stake for the Reds in January. They will hope they have got the right business done to aid their survival push.
But the deals Forest got over the line will also have a knock-on effect for what happens in the summer. Much of what transpires come the end of the season will depend on which division Steve Cooper’s side find themselves in; they will still have some key decisions to make regardless, however.
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The arrival of Keylor Navas on loan throws the spotlight on the goalkeeping situation at the City Ground. In the short-term, he will take over the spot between the posts while Dean Henderson is injured.
What happens when Henderson returns remains to be seen, though. And with both loans due to end in the summer, one way or another, the Reds will be left with a gap to fill. Jordan Smith will also be out of contract at that point, leaving this area of the pitch as one of the biggest areas to be addressed. A call will also need to be made on Ethan Horvath, who is currently on loan at Luton Town.
Harry Toffolo not moving on during the window means Forest have three left-backs on the backs - four if you include Neco Williams, who is increasingly seen as an option on that flank, rather than on the right. Given Toffolo came close to heading elsewhere, unless the option not to make Renan Lodi’s loan permanent isn’t taken up (and he is doing a grand job of making a case for the club to keep him on), the former Huddersfield Town man’s long-term future Trentside could be in doubt. In addition to Toffolo, Lodi and Williams, Cooper still has Omar Richards to come back into the fold when he returns to fitness.
On the right, Serge Aurier’s future will soon need to be addressed. It is believed he signed a one-year deal when he joined in the summer. Meanwhile, Mohamed Drager is on loan at FC Luzern, with an option to make the move permanent.
The arrival of Felipe on deadline day could have an impact on the rest of the Reds’ centre-backs come the summer. Joe Worrall, Scott McKenna, Steve Cook, Willy Boly and Loic Mbe Soh all have deals which run until 2024. There was interest in Cook in the run-up to the window closing, while Mbe Soh went on loan to Guingamp earlier in the month.
Given that come the summer that quintet will have 12 months to run on their contracts, there might be a temptation to cash in on some - or, alternatively, a decision to be made over whether to offer fresh terms to others. Moussa Niakhate is tied down for longer, until 2025, with the option for a further 12 months beyond that.
In midfield, with Cafu not moving on before the window closed, barring any termination of his contract, it seems likely he will leave as a free agent in the summer. Jack Colback’s deal will be up then, too, but Cooper values the experience he brings and his presence in the dressing room, so it is difficult to call what will happen to the former Newcastle United man.
Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see what happens with Alex Mighten and Josh Bowler in the summer. The former is unlikely to get much game time in the second half of the season, after his loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday was cut short. Whether he could play a bigger part at the City Ground next term may depend on which division the Reds are in.
Bowler, on the other hand, is yet to pull on a Forest shirt. He immediately headed on loan to Olympiacos in the summer, then rejoined Blackpool last month for the second half of the campaign.
The club’s status will also no doubt have a bearing on Jesse Lingard’s future. The attacker penned a one-year deal when he joined, but he seems to be enjoying his time on the banks of the Trent. Cooper has said “the longer, the better” when it comes to working with Lingard, but admitted talk about what happens next is on the back-burner for now.
Lyle Taylor will almost certainly leave in the summer now, given he will be a free agent then and a January move did not materialise. Having been left out of the 25-man Premier League squad for the first half of the campaign, it is difficult to see how his situation will change.
There was speculation about Emmanuel Dennis last month. The fact the attacker had already played for the Reds and Watford this season complicated matters, but Forest’s attacking situation in general will no doubt be reassessed in the summer.
How Forest’s first-team squad looks following the closure of the January window…
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (loan expires 2023), Jordan Smith (contract expires 2023), Wayne Hennessey (2024), Keylor Navas (loan expires 2023).
Defenders: Joe Worrall (2024), Scott McKenna (2024), Steve Cook (2024), Giulian Biancone (2025), Moussa Niakhate (2025, with the option for a further 12 months beyond that), Omar Richards (2026), Neco Williams (2026), Harry Toffolo (unconfirmed), Renan Lodi (loan expires 2023, option to make the move permanent), Willy Boly (2024), Serge Aurier (2023), Felipe (2024).
Midfielders: Jack Colback (2023), Ryan Yates (2025), Orel Mangala (2026), Cheikhou Kouyate (2024), Remo Freuler (unconfirmed), Lewis O'Brien (unconfirmed), Gustavo Scarpa (2026), Danilo (2029), Jonjo Shelvey (2025).
Attackers: Alex Mighten (2025), Brennan Johnson (2026), Jesse Lingard (2023), Morgan Gibbs-White (2027), Sam Surridge (2024), Taiwo Awoniyi (2027), Emmanuel Dennis (unconfirmed), Chris Wood (loan expires 2023, with a conditional option to buy).
Players out on loan: Ethan Horvath (Luton Town, Forest contract expires 2024), Loic Mbe Soh (Guingamp, 2024), Mohamed Drager (FC Luzern, option to make the move permanent, unconfirmed expiration on Forest contract), Richie Laryea (Toronto, 2025), Jonathan Panzo (Coventry City, 2025), Braian Ojeda (Real Salt Lake, option to make the move permanent, 2025), Brandon Aguilera (Estoril, 2026), Josh Bowler (Blackpool, unconfirmed), Hwang Ui-jo (Olympiacos, unconfirmed).
Younger players on loan: Will Swan (Mansfield Town), Tyrese Fornah (Reading), Fin Back (Carlisle United), Riley Harbottle (Mansfield Town), Dale Taylor (Burton Albion), Aaron Donnelly (Port Vale), Ateef Konate (Oxford United).
Cafu (2023), Harry Arter (2024) and Lyle Taylor (2023) were not part of the 25-man squad in the first half of the season.
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