Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espírito Santo has done a magnificent job during the opening ten games of the Premier League campaign, leading his side to third place before this weekend’s action.
Chris Wood has played a huge part in the recent success, registering eight goals in his ten appearances, with Manchester City’s Erling Haaland the only player to score more than him at this stage.
The defence has also massively improved since last season, conceding just seven times, with new signing Nikola Milenkovic undoubtedly playing a huge role in the decrease of goals conceded.
Such recruitment over the summer has taken the Reds massively clear of the drop zone already, with survival still the first priority despite the incredible first few months of the campaign.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis appears to have strengthened the off-the-field staff at the City Ground, with the appointment of Arsenal sporting director Edu Gaspar – joining as the CEO of the Greek’s football empire, which also includes Olympiacos and Rio Ave.
It could leave the 46-year-old with some big decisions to make when he finally gets his foot under the table, with three calls needing to be made upon his arrival under Marinakis.
1 Ola Aina's contract extension
After arriving on a free transfer from Italian side Torino last summer, not many people knew what to expect from Ola Aina after his previous stint in England’s top flight with Fulham back in 2020.
He only agreed a one-year deal with many expecting him to be a backup to the likes of Neco Williams and World Cup-winning loanee Gonzalo Montiel.
However, the Nigerian quickly cemented himself as a key player under both Steve Cooper and Nuno, registering a total of 22 league appearances, but did struggle with injuries during certain parts of the season.
Aina scored his first goal for Forest during the 2-0 win over Aston Villa at City Ground back in November 2023, with his fine strike flying past Emiliano Martínez and into the bottom corner.
As a result of his displays in 2023/24, the 28-year-old was handed a 12-month extension, a deal that takes him until the summer of June 2025.
The former Chelsea youngster has gone from strength to strength this campaign, being part of the second-best backline in the division – even scoring a screamer off his weaker foot in the victory over West Ham United.
His recent form hasn’t gone unnoticed, with the likes of AC Milan and Roma reportedly eyeing a move for the full-back in January – potentially able to agree a pre-contract should he fail to agree a new deal with the Reds.
The hierarchy can fend off any interest by handing Aina a new contract, something which he thoroughly deserves after his recent performances at the City Ground.
2 Anthony Elanga’s potential departure
Deadline day during the summer transfer window saw Forest frantically try for a new striker, with Omar Marmoush and Santiago Gimenez just two games who were both strongly linked with a move to the East Midlands.
However, it also saw a flurry of bids placed for key first-team members, including Anthony Elanga, who was the subject of huge interest from fellow Premier League side Newcastle United.
Eddie Howe’s side tried to secure a move for the Swedish international in the deal that saw Elliot Anderson move to the Reds, but instead, Odysseas Vlachodimos made the move to Tyneside.
Despite this, the Magpies made a £50m bid for Elanga on deadline day, an offer which the Reds’ hierarchy turned down – a surprise decision given the nature of the bid.
The 22-year-old only cost the club £15m from Manchester United 12 months prior, with the rejected bid seeing the club make £35m profit on the winger – a phenomenal piece of business given the recent PSR drama.
It appears that the offer may have turned the youngster’s head, with Elanga failing to score in the current campaign and only registering one assist in his first ten league outings.
Chris Wood
8
806
101
Anderson
3
602
200
Hudson-Odoi
2
731
365
Sosa
1
77
77
Jota Silva
1
181
181
Elanga
1
562
562
Gibbs-White
1
572
572
The “frightening” winger, as dubbed by journalist Laurie Whitwell, has also been left out of the Sweden national side for the upcoming Nations League matches against Slovakia and Azerbaijan- an indication as to how poor he’s been in recent weeks.
Given his lack of form under Nuno, should the club receive a bid of a similar nature from Newcastle, they simply cannot afford to turn it down, handing Edu the funds to work his magic in the transfer market upon his arrival.
In recent days, Bayern Munich winger Mathys Tel has been touted with a potential move to join Nuno’s side, with Elanga’s potential fee potentially covering any move for the Frenchman.
3 Andrew Omobamidele loan move
Centre-back Andrew Omobamidele joined Forest on deadline day back in January 2024, arriving in an £11m deal from Championship side Norwich City.
The Irishman arrived providing key depth to the defensive department as Nuno aimed to avoid relegation just a couple of months after taking over from fan-favourite Cooper.
Omobamidele would go on to make 14 appearances in all competitions during the second half of last season, scoring on his full debut in the FA Cup victory over Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.
However, after the arrival of the aforementioned Milenkovic, the 22-year-old has found first-team minutes extremely hard to come by, featuring for a total of 90 minutes – failing to appear for a single minute in the Premier League.
As a result of his lack of minutes, the centre-back has been left out of the Republic of Ireland squad for the upcoming international break, replaced by current Norwich defender Shane Duffy.
Omobamidele has never put a foot wrong when featuring for Nuno, but ultimately, he’s become the victim of the club’s rapid success, falling down the pecking order as a result of the investment and form of other players.
Murillo
10
900
Milenkovic
10
840
Morato
5
65
Willy Boly
3
181
Omobamidele
1
90
Zach Abbott
1
60
He desperately needs a loan to either a bottom-half Premier League side or a promotion-chasing Championship side to give him the valuable minutes he needs if he is to progress and reach the potential he arrived with.
Edu has the opportunity to facilitate such a move, potentially enabling the Reds to reach the next level with their recruitment – helping Nuno and the coaching staff sustain their impressive start in 2024/25.
However, if the Brazilian is to make a great first impression in the East Midlands, he must look to implement all three aforementioned dilemmas allowing for all the players to continue their varying stages of development.
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ByEthan LambNov 7, 2024