Nottingham Forest: A Summer Of Signings

It was another busy transfer window for Nottingham Forest, being one of the most active Championship clubs bringing in a total of 12 players.

With a new manager on-board in Sabri Lamouchi, the cycle of wanting to bring in his own players and get rid of the deadwood was in full swing. Lamouchi didn’t struggle to bring players in but found it difficult moving unwanted players on.

This has been one of the most bizarre windows in terms of the position’s the reds have  been looking to strengthen. We’ve ended the window having six centre backs (not including Hefele), four goalkeepers and a countless amount of centre midfielders but have signed only one striker and having two in total. This could come back to haunt Lamouchi’s Forest in later months.

It is also worth mentioning that the League One and Two window closes at a later date, as does the european window, so there may be some more outgoings to come yet (hopefully).

I’m going to look at each new signing at Forest in this window and see what the future may hold for each player:

Sammy Ameobi: Ameobi kicked the transfer dealings off for the reds and was brought in whilst Martin O’Neill was still in charge of the club. This first signing is a bit of a ‘risk free’ one as Ameobi came to the club on a free from relegated side Bolton. He has shown signs of promise in previous seasons but it’s whether he is able to now perform to a high enough standard consistently.

Tiago Silva: Not quite the PSG centre-half but I’m sure he’ll do. Silva could be a big part of Lamouchi’s forest side and with Carvalho close to returning from injury, it will be interesting to see the pair in the same lineup. The two of them together linking up in behind Grabban could cause any team an issue. It may take some time for Silva to adapt to the physicality of the league but he seem’s like the type of player to get fans off their seats.

Alfa Semedo: Arguably one of the most exciting signings of the window for Forest. The centre midfielder seems like a real talent technically and physically. Lamouchi will be hoping Semedo can dictate games and be the one to make Forest tick this season.

Yuri Riberio: A young left back who has joined with Semedo from Benfica. Unlike Semedo, Riberio has joined the club permanently. To begin with, he may have to remain patient with a solid championship full-back in Jack Robinson in his way but when he get’s the chance hopefully he’ll show his worth. Could be one for the future for the reds.

Albert Adomah: Could be a key player this season. An experienced player who knows what it takes to get promoted from the Championship. A good winger to have at this level and seems like a great player to have in the changing room. Could be more valuable to the club then we think.

Arijanet Muric: A keeper which showed his potential in the Carabao Cup for Manchester City last season. He’s still young and will learn a lot and gain valuable experience as the season goes on. Muric shouldn’t be judged off his first game vs West Brom, a lot more to come from the youngster.

Samba Sow: A defensive midfielder from Dynamo Moscow who’s main job will be to do the dirty work for Forest. Lamouchi will want him to break up the play and then give the ball off to the more creative players in Silva, Carvalho and Semedo. This transfer could either work a treat or just not work at all. Hopefully it’s not the latter.

Rafa Mir: A striker who’s tipped to have a bright future but hasn’t had the greatest last few seasons. Hopefully with more game time and Mir playing in his preferred position, he can kickstart his career and score some vital goals for Forest.

Carl Jenkinson: A man with some experience, playing for Arsenal, West Ham and Birmingham in the past. A right full-back was what was needed after Darikwa was confirmed to be out for lengthy spell after an ACL injury. First half of the West Brom game especially, we struggled to defend down our right side with Matty Cash having to fill in at full-back. Jenkinson is a decent defender to have at this level.

Brice Samba: Rated highly last season in a relegated Ligue 1 side, that in itself says quite a lot. Could turn out to be some of the best business done in this window in the long run. Muric and Samba will be battling it out for the number one spot.

Chema: Bringing in another centre-half was something most Forest fans didn’t expect to see this window with five already in the squad but throughout the window we were being linked with central defenders. Chema was brought in on deadline day from Levante and will be hoping to push for a starting spot straight away although it won’t be easy with so many defenders battling for the same spot. Being a left-footed centre-half may give him an advantage over some of the right-footed centre-backs.

John Bostock: Probably the signing which Forest fans are most unsure on. A player who has some experience of english football after playing for Tottenham and Crystal Palace. I have no expectations for him to set the league alight.