Nottingham Forest made a ‘brilliant’ signing last summer who isn’t even in Nuno’s strongest team yet

Add as preferred source on Google

The recruitment policy at Nottingham Forest has for a long time been considering the butt of most people’s jokes.

A sporadic approach to transfers following promotion for the first time in 23 years has seen the club mocked at every chance ever since.

However, more respect is now deserved towards what Forest are trying to do.

Following promotion, Forest lost their goalkeeper and captain – Brice Samba and Lewis Grabban – whilst five players who regularly made up the starting eleven all returned to their loan clubs.

That left huge holes to plug in the squad and Forest went on a spree that saw the club land 30 new players across two transfer windows.

Although that was excessive, this summer saw Forest finally target quality over quantity – and now the jovial taunts simply have to stop.

Nikola Milenkovic has been praised by Don Hutchinson having cost only £12 million from Fiorentina in the summer.

Elsewhere, Forest signed Elliot Anderson and Gary Neville believes he’s one of the most talented players in the country.

The Reds now have a strength in depth unlike other years and perhaps that is the most pleasing aspect of the summer transfer window just gone.

• READ MORE: Teenager makes first team debut months after leaving Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest made brilliant signing who doesn’t even get picked yet

The Reds needed to add some meat to the bones when it came to the squad in the summer and ultimately, the club are now thriving following the recruitment.

That is perhaps epitomised by the form since he arrived at the club of man-mountain central defender Morato.

The Brazilian was a surprise £10 million signing from Benfica on transfer deadline day and he’s actually yet to start a game for the Reds.

He has been the substitute who keeps coming on to see games out and incredibly Forest haven’t conceded yet while Morato has been on the pitch.

At 23, he represents a player with the right sort of profile that Forest are clearly looking for and the fee paid for him represents a steal.

The Telegraph journalist John Percy has been very impressed with the Brazilian and thinks he’ll get in any other team in the division!

He told the Shut Up and Show More Football podcast: “Just a word for Morato by the way, he’s been absolutely brilliant when he’s been coming off the bench.

“Any other Premier League team he’d get in every week so that’s how well stocked they are at centre-back now.”

Morato pushing hard for Forest starting berth

With Milenkovic and Murillo currently in fine form – and Forest having only conceded seven goals so far this season – it’s unlikely Morato will be getting the nod just yet.

However, he looks like a ready-made option should either of the two central defenders pick up suspension or injury issues this season.

Morato has done his job with aplomb when summonsed from the bench and it’s another nod to the recruitment team that he was picked up so cheap.

Forest have been forced to endure the ridicule over their transfer policy in recent times. Now, however, the only people laughing are us supporters who had to listen to every man and his dog about how the Reds were cruising for relegation this season