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Incomings and outgoings are possible at the City Ground as Nottingham Forest head into the final days of the January transfer window.
Strengthening Nuno Espirito Santo’s attacking resources before Monday’s 11pm cut-off is a priority. But the Reds head coach has consistently stressed the importance of hanging on to the “core” of his dressing room as much as recruiting new faces.
Four deals Nottingham Forest could do before transfer window deadline as key calls loom
Nevertheless, the club could sanction some departures as part of their remaining transfer business. Plenty of groundwork was done in the summer in terms of trimming numbers amid Nuno’s preference for working with a small squad, but some fringe players do remain on the books.
After a relatively quiet few weeks, it could be a busy end to the window for Forest. Below, we take a look at the players who could depart Trentside before the deadline.
The attacker was left off the Reds’ 25-man Premier League squad list for the first half of the campaign, and his situation has not changed since. Forest will look to find a move for him, although that may prove easier said than done given he has not played a competitive game since starting for loan club Watford against Sunderland last April.
A return to the Hornets has been mooted while Sheffield Wednesday and Rangers have also been linked. One stumbling block could be Dennis’ wages, with the Nigerian reportedly banking a salary in the region of £4 million. He is also said to have interest from abroad, including Saudi Arabia.
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Lewis O’Brien
A loan spell with Los Angeles FC officially expired on December 31, leaving the midfielder in limbo since then. The MLS outfit had an option to make his switch a permanent one and had previously held talks with the Reds, but it appears any return for O’Brien has since been ruled out.
Burnley, Blackburn Rovers and Hull City have all been linked with the former Huddersfield Town man while Preston North End are the latest side to have been credited with an interest. Lilywhites boss Paul Heckingbottom is an admirer of O’Brien having targeted him in the past, when he was in charge at Sheffield United.
As in the case with Dennis, wages could be the big issue for the midfielder. The Lancashire Post have reported finding room on the wage bill could be tricky for Preston – not least because they already have winger Josh Bowler on loan from Forest. Bowler has fallen out of the first-team picture at Deepdale and although North End are seemingly happy to allow him to leave, that is proving difficult to do as no recall clause was included in his deal.
Nottingham Forest: Special reports
To celebrate the success of Nottingham Forest this season, we are writing a series of features celebrating events at the City Ground.
From the finances to the former managers. Looking at how the City is benefitting from what Nuno’s team are doing on the pitch.
We take a deep dive into Evangelos Marinakis and his aspirations for the club – can the Reds match them?
West Ham United have had their eye on him and earlier this week it was reported Everton had placed the front man on their shortlist as they seek attacking reinforcements. Forest would certainly not even consider allowing Awoniyi to leave without bolstering their own forward options first.
Quizzed on his future, Awoniyi said recently: “Transfers are part of football, and there will always be speculation. But my focus is entirely on Nottingham Forest.
“This is a team with a lot of potential and I want to be here to help achieve something special. I’m not thinking about leaving, I’m thinking about how I can contribute more to the success of this club.”
Should Forest allow the trio to leave before the deadline? Click HERE to have your say
