Nottingham Forest CEO Dane Murphy made an ambitious attempt to sign Zian Flemming from Fortuna Sittard.
It proved a tricky climate in which to sign players in a post-pandemic era and Forest were priced out of a move.
Flemming starred in the Eredivisie during 2020/21. He scored 15 goals and claimed seven assists; altering several clubs towards a move for his signature.
At 23, he looks like a sought-after player, but he has struggled to scale such heights when it comes to goal contributions this season.
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Flemming has typically operated as a number 10 for Sittard, although he does occasionally play as a striker.
This season has been a bit of a struggle for Sittard though and they are in a relegation battle.
That has been reflected with Flemming and his goal contributions, with just six goals and four assists coming from the youngster.
Of course, his team’s struggles are probably a sizeable factor in that but he’s not really justified the interest from Forest.
The Reds opted to take Philip Zinckernagel on loan from Watford. He’s enjoyed a decent campaign, scoring six goals and claiming 10 assists.
As a result, the Reds look more than justified not to stump up the extra cash to sign Flemming last summer.
Forest should move on from Flemming
The Dutch performer has stagnated somewhat this term and his form has gone backwards on the back of a failed move to Forest.
Flemming is likely to cost upwards of £2 million. The Reds have showcased a savvy approach in the transfer market and they could now move on from the attacker.
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The youngster’s ability is not in question but in order to really justify the interest last summer, he needed to kick on during 2021/22.
He hasn’t really done that and perhaps Forest have now been justified in their decision not to make any higher bids for Flemming.