Jota Silva had a chance to assert himself in Nottingham Forest’s opening friendly against Chesterfield, but the Portuguese winger didn’t exactly impress.
In the first outing since Anthony Elanga’s departure to Newcastle United, Jota started as the only senior player left who operates on the right, but his impact against the League Two opponents didn’t impress.
Forest fans criticised Jota’s display as he failed to make a meaningful impact on the team going forward, emphasised especially when youngster Jimmy Sinclair impressed against Chesterfield in the second half.
Without a replacement for Elanga through the door yet, Jota remains the number one option, but this has clearly not stopped other clubs from tempting Forest into negotiations for his potential exit.
Sporting CP pushing to sign Jota Silva from Nottingham Forest
As reported by Nottingham Forest News, Forest are happy to keep Jota unless a deal that represents good value is presented. Not keen to take no for an answer, though Sporting CP are keen on securing a deal for the winger as soon as possible.
According to O Jogo in Portugal: “The Portuguese striker[Jota] is wanted by Sporting, which is in negotiations with the club managed by Nuno Espírito Santo to close the deal.
“Rui Borges [Sporting manager] recently asked Frederico Varandas [Sporting president] to speed up the process so he can have the forward back in the first team as soon as possible, reiterating his desire to have the player at least immediately after his training camp in the Algarve.
“A loan with an option to buy him at the end of the season is on the table.”
On paper, a loan wouldn’t suit Forest, who would need to replace his role in the squad on top of signing a first-team starter. However, if the future fee represents profit, then Evangelos Marinakis could be tempted to roll the dice.
If Jota is to go, though, Nuno Espírito Santo may immediately suffer as a crucial period of pre-season is just around the corner.
The Nottingham Forest squad could be light for pre-season
Forest face off against Ligue 1 side AS Monaco on Saturday, in the first pre-season match after the club’s international stars returned to training.
After this, the Forest squad will be travelling to Portugal for a warm-weather training camp to give Espírito Santo the time he needs to implement any tactical tweaks ahead of the new season.
However, if Jota is to leave, the right-wing position suddenly looks incredibly light, making it difficult to truly work on patterns of play with either youth players or makeshift wingers occupying the crucial role.
Of course, Edu and the recruitment team will be working hard to find solutions to the gaps in the squad, but the current state of what Espírito Santo has to work with ahead of the trip away is likely to be vastly different to what finishes the transfer window, a far from ideal way to prepare in pre-season.
Receive a digest of our best Nottingham Forest content each week direct to your mailbox
