Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has today delivered his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s trip to Southampton.
The Reds are heading south looking to build on their 1-1 draw with Bournemouth last weekend in the first game of the 2024/25 campaign.
Naturally, the media weren’t too fussed about asking the head coach too much about the game – and instead had transfer rumours in their sights.
With just over a week to go until the big deadline day soap opera gets underway for another year, Forest still have business to do.
Eddie Nketiah has agreed on personal terms to sign for Forest and that one should get completed, but elsewhere there are outgoing deals to be done too.
Nuno Espirito Santo confirms Joe Worrall is about to leave
It’s over for the club captain. After many years spent coming through the ranks and going onto play Premier League football with Forest, Worrall is set to leave.
The man who has made 226 appearances for the Reds is set to sign for Burnley in the Championship and that could mean an immediate return to the Premier League next season.
Espirito Santo gave Worrall one outing in the Premier League and that came as a later substitute in the 3-1 win at Newcastle – but he has nothing but respect for the 27-year-old.
He said in his press conference on Forest TV: “Yes, we can talk about that. I think you know that I really appreciate Joe but since we arrived we decided that he was not going to be involved.
“But his behaviour as the club captain has been amazing for us. I remember in pre-season, he had a knock on his head in the warm-up but he still came out and gave his all. I hear there is an opportunity for Joe to go and I wish him all the best.”
Worrall deserves respect from Forest fan base
The captain’s chances of establishing himself in the team took a hit when Worrall had a disagreement over game time with Steve Cooper.
The writing has been on the wall pretty much ever since that point and for the second half of last season he joined Besiktas on loan.
Whatever the fan perception of Worrall is, it must be remembered that he was the man who ultimately captained the team back to the Premier League – a dream come true for a boyhood Forest fan.
Sadly for Worrall, he’s never really proved himself as a competent Premier League performer, however, and since promotion, the club has signed better central defenders.
At 27, however, Worrall is too good to be kicking his heels at a club where he’s not going to play any football.
Burnley should be a good club for him to kick-start his career and the Clarets are getting a very good defender at Championship level should this deal go through.
Espirito Santo’s response is a classy one and it’s hard to imagine too many Forest fans holding much of a grudge with the Hucknall-born star.
Receive a digest of our best Nottingham Forest content each week direct to your mailbox
