Nottingham Forest transfer state of play: record smashing £51m winger bid, Wissa bid, potential departures

Nottingham Forest’s stunning form this season has made them surprise contenders for a Champions League place and perhaps even for the Premier League title – and that success seems to have encouraged the club to make a big statement in the January transfer window as they look to strengthen their squad for a pivotal run-in.

To help make sense of what might happen over the closing two weeks of the window, we’ve rounded up all the latest news on Forest’s pursuit of Brentford striker Yoane Wissa, an alleged record transfer bid for a rising star of Spanish football, and the chances that a handful of players leave the City Ground.

Forest fighting to land Wissa

The headline move that Forest have made this week is a bid for Brentford forward Wissa, who has scored 11 Premier League goals so far this season and has one of the best goals-per-game ratios in the top flight, although he lags slightly behind Chris Wood.

The Athletic reported that the bid for the 28-year-old forward – who plays as a central striker for Brentford but can also play on either flank, as he often does for the Democratic Republic of Congo – was set at £22m, although other outlets have reported lower figures.

It is expected that Brentford will reject the offer with their valuation of the forward set significantly higher, although it is unclear how much Forest would have to pay to prise Wissa away from his current club. His contract has 18 months left to run, which might limit the asking price, but Brentford do not want to let their second-top goalscorer leave partway through the season and are set to rebuff approaches from other clubs for Bryan Mbeumo.

It looks likely that Forest will move on as a result, and since this article was first published a new report from Sky Sports has suggested that Forest are prepared to launch a bid for Wolves forward Matheus Cunha. The Brazilian had been expected to sign a new contract at Molineux but talks have stalled and it is claimed that Cunha was upset to be singled out for criticism by manager Vitor Pereira, who took exception to the striker’s attitude after the recent defeat to Chelsea. No transfer fee was mentioned in Sky Sports’ initial report.

Record bid supposedly made for Spaniard

Wissa isn’t the only attacking player on the menu, however, according to a report carried by the Nottingham Post, among others – Forest could allegedly be ready to smash their transfer record by activating the €60m (£50.7m) release clause of Villarreal’s Álex Baena.

Baena, 23, can play out wide or as a number ten, has eight caps for Spain and has registered six goals and 19 assists in La Liga since the start of last season, making him one of the rising stars of the Spanish game, and his signature would be a substantial statement.

The reports do also claim interest from both Newcastle United and, more ominously, Bayern Munich, and Forest would have an uphill battle on their hands if either of those clubs came in for him. A red flag worth raising is that one of the primary sources for the story is Spanish outlet Fichajes, whose track record with transfer rumours is uninspiring.

Forest will certainly miss out on another prospective target, French prodigy Mathys Tel, who had been linked with a loan move away from Bayern Munich but will, according to Sky Sports Germany, now stay in Bavaria. Whether Forest sign Wissa or Baena, it certainly looks as though a versatile attacking player is the first priority this transfer window. Long-term target Yuri Alberto of Corinthians is another player whose names has come up.

Awoniyi among those who could leave

Part of the urgency behind the push for an attacking option may be the potential departure of Taiwo Awoniyi, who has struggled to force his way into the first team this season due to the form of Wood.

The Nigerian striker has been linked with a move to West Ham United, although it appears that Graham Potter prefers alternative targets with a bid for Jhon Durán already made (and rejected), while there are suggestions that Evan Ferguson could be the next player the Hammers make a move for. Nuno Espirito Santo has publicly backed Awoniyi to recapture his best form and praised his impact, but a bid may test Forest’s resolve to keep him with his contract set to expire at the end of next season.

More likely to leave are defender Andrew Omobamidele, who is wanted by Sheffield United and Leeds United, and midfielder Lewis O’Brien, who is reportedly a target for Lancashire rivals Burnley and Blackburn Rovers. Rovers reached an agreement for O’Brien last season which was scuppered at the eleventh hour by paperwork problems.

The good news is that Murillo, who has been repeatedly linked with several elite European sides over the past year, has now committed his future to Forest by signing a new long-term deal with the club. Wood is expected to follow suit in the near future, so at least two of Forest’s most important players shouldn’t be going anywhere.

It looks as though Forest will push hard to sign at least one attacking player this winter, with both Wissa and Baena extremely attractive (if expensive) options. It is unclear whether they would stop at one new signings or make further moves, but expect a big deal to be forced over the line before the window closes (sorry, ‘slams shut’) on 3 February, and we can also anticipate the departure of a handful of fringe players.