A striker is at the top of Nottingham Forest’s wishlist ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline, but another key position of interest may be more possible than first anticipated.
After Evangelos Marinakis made signing a striker his priority for January, rumours of other positions in the Forest squad that could be strengthened have gone largely quiet.
Nuno Espirito Santo may look to future-proof his side defensively, with Forest linked with Nasser Djiga as a potential long-term solution should Murillo be poached by one of the elite European sides.
Another defensive rumour was Forest’s interest in El Hadji Malick Diouf to replace the on-loan Alex Moreno as left-back competition, but Matheus Cunha was made Forest’s top target which quietened down rumours of any other position.
However, one potentially exciting midfield option may have just been given a lifeline, as key rivals Manchester City look to have pulled out of the race.
Unexpected boost in Nottingham Forest’s pursuit of Douglas Luiz
Forest were linked with Douglas Luiz in the early stages of the January transfer window but with Manchester City also interested, a deal never seemed likely for the Brazilian.
A recent report in the Daily Mail has offered Forest a lifeline, though, as Manchester City look to have begun targeting an alternative option to Luiz.
The report said: “Manchester City have made an approach to land Porto’s Nico Gonzalez as they look to end the window with a new central midfielder. City are understood to have made contact with their Portuguese counterparts and are in negotiations over a fee.
“Gonzalez, represented by super agent Jorge Mendes, has a release clause of around £50 million but City are working to strike a deal lower.”
Given that City had reportedly made a move for Luiz, their interest in Gonzalez from Porto may open the door for Forest to mount a serious transfer push for the Juventus midfielder.
Luiz wants to return to the Premier League after previously playing for Aston Villa, but the strength in depth in Forest’s midfield may make a move for him unwise for Espirito Santo’s side, especially given his £59 million valuation.
Nottingham Forest may have enough depth to avoid Douglas Luiz
There is no doubt about Luiz’s ability and Premier League pedigree when considering he notched nine goals and five assists in his final season at Villa before moving to Italy.
However, given Ibrahim Sangare and Danilo’s returns from injury, Evangelos Marinakis may be wise not to be tricked into paying over the odds for the Brazilian.
Especially given the successful signing of Elliot Anderson who joined Forest in the summer, Forest are well stocked in the midfield areas for now so any available funds could be best placed focused on the striker search.
Luiz has only started three Serie A games for Juventus since his summer move which highlights that he is unlikely to work his way into the starting XI any time soon in Italy. Therefore, the Forest owner could always return back for Luiz in the summer window, especially if Forest qualify for European football.
Forest weren’t actively looking for a midfielder at the start of January, a decision that should be stuck to in regards to their interest in Luiz.
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