Nottingham Forest will start compiling a shortlist of players to sign in the coming weeks, with the season set to end in five games and the Reds on the cusp of qualifying for Europe.
Right now, it’s not clear whether it will be the Champions League or the Europa League that Forest will play in next season and that could dictate what sort of markets the club can shop in.
Forest will hope to maintain their mantra from last summer when it comes to making new signings in the sense of prioritising quality over quantity, much like Evangelos Marinakis did in the summer of 2024.
If Champions League football does get secured by Forest, it will be fascinating to see what level of players can be added, with the club likely to become a more attractive option for potential targets.
Pundit tips Nottingham Forest to go for Kevin De Bruyne
It’s worth noting that this simply won’t happen, but talk on TalkSPORT recently turned towards the future of De Bruyne after it was announced that the Belgian is going to leave Manchester City in the summer.
Scott Minto namechecked Forest in the mix to potentially be interested in De Bruyne should he choose to ignore the advances from MLS clubs are remain in the Premier League.
As both pundits on the show mentioned, however, it feels very unlikely with De Bruyne earning a staggering £400,000-a-week at the Etihad Stadium and a move to either the Middle East or the MLS feels most likely.
Forest will naturally look for some marquee players if the Champions League is their destination for the 2025/25 campaign, but De Bruyne is going to be well out of reach despite the fact that he’s leaving City.
Champions League football will be game-changing for Forest
Although De Bruyne won’t be coming to Forest, it would be seriously big if Forest managed to get into the Champions League, given the riches that come with being in that competition.
It would allow Marinakis the chance to truly go out and shape the squad how he sees fit, with the financial side of things likely to prove game-changing in terms of Forest making this season a regular occurrence rather than a flash in the pan.
De Bruyne will be out of reach but other stellar players might fancy a crack at playing in the Champions League at Forest and qualifying could make life really exciting for the club when it comes to adding players.
Arguably the greatest Premier League midfielder of all-time would be a quality addition to the ranks for Forest but De Bruyne coming to the City Ground is going to be extremely wide of the mark.
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