First-Team Squad

Nottingham Forest’s squad of 47 players for the 2022/23 season has been built for manager Steve Cooper. The City Ground outfit’s team contains six goalkeepers, 15 defenders, 16 midfielders and 10 forwards, including any players that the Reds have sent out on loan.

Nottingham Forest goalkeepers

Dean Henderson (on loan from Manchester United)

Manchester United loaned Dean Henderson to Nottingham Forest for the 2022/23 Premier League term. The goalkeeper remained Cooper’s undisputed No1 before suffering an injury.

Ethan Horvath (on loan to Luton Town)

Nottingham Forest signed Ethan Horvath in 2021 for further competition between the posts upon his release by Club Brugge. Yet he seldom featured before joining Luton Town on loan.

Keylor Navas (on loan from Paris Saint-Germain)

Cooper added Keylor Navas to the goalkeeper picks in Nottingham Forest’s first-team squad in January 2023. The three-time Champions League winner joined Forest on loan from PSG.

Wayne Hennessey

Nottingham Forest signed Wayne Hennessey as a free agent in 2022 following his release by Burnley. The Wales hero arrived at the City Ground to provide depth on a two-year contract.

Adnan Kanuric (on loan to Oxford City)

Adnan Kanuric secured a move to Nottingham Forest upon leaving Bosnian side FK Sarajevo in 2022. The Austrian-born Bosnia U21 gem later joined Oxford City on loan in February 2023.

Jordan Smith (on loan to Huddersfield Town)

Jordan Smith first joined Nottingham Forest’s academy in 2001 and rose through their ranks to make the first-team squad. The South Normanton native also sealed loan spells to Ilkeston, Nuneaton, Barnsley, Mansfield Town and, for the latter half of 2022/23, Huddersfield Town.

Nottingham Forest defenders

Giulian Biancone

Nottingham Forest paid Troyes £5m for Giulian Biancone upon securing their promotion into the top-flight. But the Frenchman would rarely play before suffering an ACL injury in training.

Steve Cook

AFC Bournemouth allowed Steve Cook to join Nottingham Forest in January 2022 as one of their longest-serving players. The centre-half initially joined the Cherries in 2011 and would help the Reds secure promotion into the Premier League upon his arrival at the City Ground.

Joe Worrall

Joe Worrall joined Nottingham Forest’s academy at 14 years old and rose through their ranks to become their captain in August 2022. The defender has often been among the Reds’ most consistent performers since his debut in 2016. He has also played in more than 200 matches.

Neco Williams

Cooper paid Liverpool £16m to sign Neco Williams on a four-year contract in July 2022. The Wales dynamo had produced an impressive run of form whilst on loan to Fulham across the second half of the prior season. He has also been a regular for Cymru since September 2020.

Harry Toffolo

Nottingham Forest signed Harry Toffolo from Huddersfield after offering the Terriers six goals and eight assists during 2021/22. But the left-back struggled to replicate his form for Cooper.

Moussa Niakhate

Nottingham Forest agreed to a potential £13m move to sign Moussa Niakhate from Mainz in 2022. But the Frenchman soon sustained a hamstring injury after moving to the City Ground.

Serge Aurier

Nottingham Forest brought Serge Aurier back to England in 2022 following the expiration of his contract at Villarreal. The Ivory Coast international had spent the previous year in Spain after leaving Tottenham Hotspur. He has proven to be a valuable asset for Reds boss Cooper.

Scott McKenna

Aberdeen sold Scott McKenna to Nottingham Forest for £5m in 2020. The Scotland enforcer has since proven to be a pivotal part of the first-team ranks at the City Ground whenever fit.

Omar Richards

Bayern Munich cashed in on Omar Richards in 2022 by sealing a £10m deal with Nottingham Forest. The defender had only moved to Bavaria a year earlier from Reading. But he suffered a hairline fracture of the leg soon after arriving at the City Ground to blight his debut season.

Willy Boly

Cooper capitalised on Wolverhampton Wanderers releasing Willy Boly to sign the defender in 2022. He had spent the prior five seasons at Molineux and was often a key player in their side.

Renan Lodi (on loan from Atletico Madrid)

Nottingham Forest paid Atletico Madrid £5m to loan Renan Lodi for the 2022/23 season with a £25m option to buy. The Brazilian soon matured into one of Cooper’s most reliable players.

Felipe

Cooper raided Atletico Madrid to sign Felipe for further centre-half cover among Nottingham Forest’s first-team squad in January 2023. The deadline day arrival signed an 18-month deal.

Richie Laryea (on loan to Toronto FC)

Nottingham Forest gave Richie Laryea a first move to Europe in 2022 after luring the Canada defender from Toronto. The right-back re-joined his hometown team on loan later that year.

Jonathan Panzo (on loan to Coventry City)

Nottingham Forest signed former Chelsea prospect Jonathan Panzo from Dijon in 2022 after spells with AS Monaco and Cercle Brugge. The youngster later joined Coventry City on loan.

Loic Mbe Soh (on loan to EA Guingamp)

Nottingham Forest paid PSG £4.5m to sign Les Parisiens’ youth talent Loic Mbe Soh in 2020. The defender struggled to establish a senior place before joining Guingamp on loan in 2023.

Nottingham Forest midfielders

Orel Mangala

Stuttgart sold Orel Mangala to Nottingham Forest in 2022 for £13m after five years with the Bundesliga club. He has since given Cooper a versatile and valuable squad option in his side.

Jonjo Shelvey

Newcastle United let Jonjo Shelvey join Nottingham Forest in January 2023 after seven years at St James’ Park. The midfielder had fallen out of favour on Tyneside under Eddie Howe. But he immediately found a new lease of life after moving to the City Ground club under Cooper.

Jack Colback

Jack Colback joined Nottingham Forest’s first-team squad permanently in August 2020. The midfielder had already spent two stints at the City Ground on loan from Newcastle. The Toon released the Sunderland product, who has since played more than 130 games with the Reds.

Morgan Gibbs-White

Nottingham Forest agreed on a club-record £42.5m transfer with Wolves for Morgan Gibbs-White in 2022. The Reds had already failed with three bids for the midfielder, who joined on a five-year contract. He has since been a mainstay offering a creative threat in Cooper’s side.

Jesse Lingard

Nottingham Forest took advantage of Manchester United releasing Jesse Lingard to sign the England international in 2022. The maestro had won the Europa League, FA Cup and EFL Cup whilst at Old Trafford over 232 outings. But he has struggled to find form at the City Ground.

Lewis O’Brien (on loan to DC United)

Huddersfield sold Lewis O’Brien to Nottingham Forest in a double deal with Toffolo for £10m in 2022. But the midfielder struggled to establish his place before joining DC United on loan.

Cafu

Cafu initially joined Nottingham Forest’s first-team squad on loan from Olympiacos in 2020. The Reds made the deal permanent in 2021 but the Portuguese has struggled under Cooper.

Cheikhou Kouyate

Nottingham Forest afforded Cheikhou Kouyate a two-year deal to join in 2022 following his release by Crystal Palace. The Senegal star has played more than 270 Premier League games.

Ryan Yates

Nottingham Forest promoted Ryan Yates to the first-team squad for the 2016/17 season. The midfielder had been a part of their academy since 2005 and has since played more than 155 senior games. He has also had loans with Barrow, Shrewsbury, Notts County and Scunthorpe.

Remo Freuler

Atalanta sold Remo Freuler to the City Ground outfit in 2022 for £7.5m on a three-year deal. The experienced Switzerland international has since held a key role in Cooper’s Reds squad.

Danilo

Nottingham Forest beat out several rival suitors to secure an £18m transfer with Palmeiras in January 2023 for Danilo. The youngster made a senior Brazil squad for the first time in 2022.

Gustavo Scarpa

Nottingham Forest raided Palmeiras to secure the free transfer of Gustavo Scarpa in January 2023. The Brazilian added a versatile option to Cooper’s team as he targeted midfield depth.

Tyrese Fornah (on loan to Reading)

Tyrese Fornah sought to continue his development with Nottingham Forest in July 2018 after starting out at Brighton. The midfielder has since secured loan deals with Casa Pia, Plymouth Argyle, Shrewsbury and, for the 2022/23 term, Reading having rarely played in senior games.

Braian Ojeda (on loan to Real Salt Lake)

Olimpia Asuncion sold Braian Ojeda to Nottingham Forest in 2021. But the Paraguayan failed to establish a role after moving to Europe and joined Salt Lake on loan for the 2022/23 term.

Harry Arter

Bournemouth sold Harry Arter to Nottingham Forest in 2020 for £5m to end his lengthy spell as a regular at Dean Court. But the Republic of Ireland international soon fell out of favour at the City Ground. Arter would even go on to join Charlton Athletic and Notts County on loan.

Brandon Aguilera (on loan to GD Estoril Praia)

Nottingham Forest lured Alajuelense talent Brandon Aguilera to the City Ground in 2022 for his first move away from Costa Rica. But the Ticos gem stayed in his homeland on loan with Guanacasteca before heading on to Portugal on loan with Estoril Praia during January 2023.

Nottingham Forest forwards

Taiwo Awoniyi

Nigeria striker Taiwo Awoniyi was briefly Nottingham Forest’s club-record signing in 2022 in a £17.5m move from Union Berlin. Yet the forward has struggled to repeat his prolific hit rate.

Sam Surridge

Nottingham Forest beat the transfer deadline to get Sam Surridge from Stoke City at the end of the January 2022 window. The striker now offers Cooper attacking depth in the top-flight.

Alex Mighten

Nottingham Forest handed their highly-rated academy ace Alex Mighten his first professional contract aged 17 in December 2019. The forward joined the Reds in 2009 and has since gone on to play more than 65 senior fixtures. He also joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan in 2022.

Brennan Johnson

Wales dynamo Brennan Johnson is the talisman of Nottingham Forest’s squad and a coveted product of their academy. The winger first joined the Reds in 2009 and has gone on to pen in excess of 25 goals and double-digits for assists in over 95 games and had a loan with Lincoln.

Emmanuel Dennis

Watford cashed in on Emmanuel Dennis’ strong debut term at Vicarage Road following their relegation to the Championship. Nottingham Forest paid £20m for the versatile Nigerian and awarded him a four-year contract. Dennis has proven to be a key squad asset under Cooper.

Lyle Taylor

Lyle Taylor joined Nottingham Forest in a Bosman transfer after leaving Charlton in 2020. The experienced forward was a key presence in 2020/21 before joining Birmingham City on loan.

Andre Ayew

Andre Ayew rejected interest from Everton to reunite with his former Swansea City manager, Cooper, at Nottingham Forest in 2023. The veteran Ghana hero was a free agent after leaving Qatari side Al Sadd. He immediately settled into an important squad role at the City Ground.

Chris Wood (on loan from Newcastle United)

Nottingham Forest signed Chris Wood in an initial loan deal from Newcastle in January 2023. But the striker triggered a £15m obligation to buy after just his third appearance for the club.

Hwang Ui-Jo (on loan to FC Seoul)

Hwang Ui-Jo left Bordeaux after their relegation from Ligue 1 to join the Reds. But the striker immediately went out on loan with Olympiacos, who Nottingham Forest’s owner Evangelos Marinakis also owns. He later moved on loan again to FC Seoul from February to June 2023.

Josh Bowler (on loan to Blackpool)

Blackpool sold Josh Bowler to Nottingham Forest in September 2022 for £2m. The forward immediately joined Olympiacos on loan before returning to the Seasiders on loan in 2023.