Nottingham Forest's mighty £78m January transfer window predicted - including Arsenal and RB Leipzig deals

Heading into the new year, Nottingham Forest fans will still be pinching themselves as they look at the Premier League table, with their club riding high with the league’s elite and eyeing a genuine chance of European football for next season - something the club haven't experienced since 1996, when they made it to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup.

Nuno Espirito Santo - star of this truly baffling signing announcement video during his time in Saudi Arabia - has defied critics who thought he was a spent force, turning Forest from relegation battle scrappers to top four contenders in just over a year. You'd say he's in an excellent position to ask new sporting director Edu for a penny or two to spend in the January transfer window, as he looks to seize the opportunity to take the club to the next level.

Ahead of the gates of the winter transfer market crashing open, we loaded up a fresh save on the cripplingly addictive Football Manager, and ran a simulation to discover all the deals the club are predicted to make in the new year.

Adam Ounas - Al Sadd - loan

Having only just moved out to the Saudi Pro League last summer, the ex-Napoli and Lille attacking midfielder swapped the desert for the forest with an early window move to the East Midlands. The Algeria international was an Africa Cup of Nations winner back in 2019, and can operate either on the right flank or more centrally.

Luciano Rodriguez - Bahia - £5m

Another player to jump ship not half a year into a spell with a new club, the young Uruguay international was the next player to set sail for the City Ground. The dynamic striker was signed as an option for the future, but remained part of the first team squad as a rotation option, rather than being sent out on loan.

David Pereira da Costa - RC Lens - £10m

If there was ever a footballing name that screamed 'flair' at the top of its lungs, it would be this fella. After falling out of favour with Ligue 1 side Lens, the dribbling dynamo did enough to convince the Forest scouts he could be a hit in the Premier League. A bit of a set-piece specialist, you can just image he'd be the ideal player to whip pinpoint crosses onto Chris Wood's waiting forehead.

Salah Outlad M'Hand - Arsenal - £3m

Edu went back to his old club to pull off this intriguing transfer raid, bringing the Gunners youngster in towards the tail-end of the window. He went straight on loan to the Championship, after being snapped up by Blackburn Rovers to aid their chances of making the play-offs.

Yussuf Poulsen - RB Leipzig - £30m

Having only just recovered from a serious knee injury, the powerful Danish striker represented a risky bit of business for Forest. While the 30-year-old is arguably past his prime, you'd still fancy him to do some damage in the Premier League. In real life, he's been with Leipzig for over a decade, featuring for the club during the early days of their Red Bull affiliated era, and helping them rise from the third tier to the Bundesliga.

Joao Ferreira - Watford - £10m

Opting to end a loan spell with Braga prematurely, the Watford defender made a deadline day switch to the City Ground. The right-back has barely featured for the Hornets since joining them from Benfica last year, but he did enough during loan spells with both Braga and Udinese to convince Forest to sign him. He could be a handy signing, given the defensive flaw Forest are yet to address.

Eljif Elmas - RB Leipzig - £20m

Oh, but Forest weren't done just yet. A final piece of business sneaked over the line just before the window was slammed shut. They drank heartily from the Red Bull goblet once again, taking their January spending to a hefty £78m. The Macedonian winger, renowned for his direct running and eye for goal, has previously been linked with the likes of Liverpool.

So there we are - this is how Nottingham Forest are predicted to fare in the upcoming January transfer window. Exotic names and hidden gems look to be the order of the day, with some serious spending in the hope of keeping the club's push for European football going until the campaign's finale in May. Over to you, Forest.