Nottingham Forest were left extremely frustrated in their search for a new striker during the summer transfer window.
The Reds tried – and failed – to get a deal for a new talisman over the line with a number of options on the radar.
Santiago Gimenez was the number one target but he chose to reject Forest and continue playing Champions League football with Feyenoord.
Another player that Forest wanted was Eddie Nketiah from Arsenal but he chose a late move to Crystal Palace instead of signing for the Reds.
Once those two deals had fallen south, Forest were briefly interested in Omar Marmoush but the club didn’t meet his £28 million valuation.
What Nuno Espirito Santo told Evangelos Marinakis about Forest striker search
The Reds chose to go with Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi as their striker options and it seems that was on the justification of Espirito Santo.
Rob Dorsett was the man on the ground with Forest when it came to transfer deadline day and he’s now made a claim about the club’s search for a striker.
He said on the Sky Sports website that the club didn’t sign a new striker as Espirito Santo advised Marinakis that one wasn’t required.
Wood repaid the faith shown in him by his manager by scoring against Wolves yesterday – and he also netted on the opening day of the season.
Awoniyi is slowly but surely getting up to his full fitness and Forest will now have to try and rotate the two accordingly this season.
Espirito Santo decision might impact January transfer window
The mid-season window is notoriously hard to sign players but that’s what Forest might have to do on this occasion.
An injury to a striker would leave Forest seriously short in attack and that could prompt the club to change their strategy.
The Forest recruitment model has been good this summer and not signing a striker certainly wasn’t down to a lack of trying.
Wood is in good form and clearly has the backing of his manager and he’s the man that Espirito Santo wants to spearhead the team’s attack.
Now, the club have to get behind the players that are at the club and see what happens when the January transfer window opens.
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