You can read Part 1 of this instalment, here!
During this transfer window back in 2024, Forest pulled off one of the best deals in Premier League history when they sold Odysseas Vlachodimos to Newcastle United for £15m, and brought in Elliot Anderson for a reported £35m - he showed very quickly he was worth far more than that, with Forest getting £116m for him this summer.
Anderson wasn’t part of my target list for two reasons - firstly, he had no top level senior experience playing in the midfield two that Nuno was setting Forest up in, and secondly, his playing time was spread all across the pitch so it was difficult to know where his best position would be from a data perspective.
Thankfully, Forest used their own data, scouts & experience to bring Anderson in, and it turned out to be a fantastic decision. In the meantime, let’s look at who I proposed in midfield & attack.
Central Midfielders
I proposed 6 players here, 3 for a more defensive minded midfield role, and 3 for a more attacking minded one. Similar to the previous post, sometimes I went for a player who was more of a ‘wildcard’ from a lower quality league.
Defensive Minded Midfielder #1 - Ethan Ampadu (Leeds United)
After being signed for just over £7m plus add-ons in 2023, Ampadu enjoyed a good season for a Leeds side that failed to gain promotion from the Championship. I was of the view that his versatility and significant experience at the age of just 23 would be really important to the Forest side.
Leeds obviously went on to win promotion in the 2024/25 season with Ampadu sticking around after no real concrete interest. He’s gone on to prove himself as a very capable player at Premier League level in central midfield, whislt still also being able to fill in when required in a back 3 system.
Verdict: Ampadu has shown he would’ve been a fine signing for almost anyone in the Premier League, and would add value to each 25-man squad, pushing for a starting role in at least half the league. 5/5.
Defensive Minded Midfielder #2 - Andre (Fluminense)
If Forest were going to dip their toe back in the Brazilian market during the summer of 2024, I thought the idea of going in for Andre would’ve been a really smart one - albeit one that would come with a cost higher than their previous deals for Brazilian players.
Andre moved to Wolves in the same summer, and became a key part of the side that staved off relegation, but then eventually fell down into the Championship last season.
Verdict: I think Andre showed that he is also a capable Premier League midfielder, albeit one who might need to control his aggression a little better. With him now playing in the Championship, it’s hard to score him too highly here in this review. 3/5.
Defensive Minded Midfielder #3 - Eric Martel (FC Koln)
Martel’s data profile was particularly interesting, as a 22 year old he put up some of the strongest defensive numbers in the Bundesliga for an FC Koln side that were eventually relegated. His profile as a ball playing midfielder was not strong, so I saw Martel as an option as a bit of a destroyer in the middle of the park.
He was reportedly available for less than £5m after that relegation to 2. Bundesliga, but no team came in for him. He played an important role in Koln’s immediate return to the Bundesliga, and again last season, before moving on a free transfer to Mainz this past summer.
Verdict: With nobody taking a chance on Martel 2 seasons ago, and him now currently being a bench player for his new side Mainz, I can only really go as high as a 2/5.
Attack Minded Midfielder #1 - Matt O’Riley (Celtic)
Matt O’Riley was putting up some tremendous numbers north of the border when I put him forward as a player Forest could potentially target, with 30 goal involvements in 37 league games. I felt that it would take a bid of over £20m to tempt Celtic to do business, but that it would be a deal worth pursuing considering his attacking instincts that Forest arguably are still to this day lacking from central midfield.