Nottingham Forest didn’t add anyone to their senior ranks during the January transfer window and that likely means a busy summer.
Evangelos Marinakis wanted a new striker. However, a number of attempts proved fruitless and Forest chose to keep the pursestrings closed with the team currently sitting in third place.
Tonight, the focus turns towards the FA Cup fourth round against Exeter. Forest will face Ipswich on home soil if a win can be achieved and hopefully, a positive result can be obtained tonight.
Forest will likely go in search of new signings in the summer. The Reds could have European football on their agenda for 2025/26 and that will mean the squad needs reinforcements.
Nottingham Forest battle Tottenham for Richard Rios
According to Caught Offside, the Premier League could be a destination for Rios during the summer transfer window, with Forest and Tottenham leading the race.
It’s perhaps surprising that Forest would go in search of a new midfielder. Nicolas Dominguez, Ibrahim Sangare, Ryan Yates, Danilo and Elliot Anderson are all current options in the squad.
However, it seems as though the Palmeiras midfielder is in the sights of Forest and perhaps that could mean some movement when it comes to the midfield ranks next season.
The 24-year-old performer has made 108 appearances for Palmeiras, scoring nine goals and claiming six assists with the player very much in the mould of a number six.
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Any club that wants to sign him will have to dig deep. Rios is protected with a release clause worth £83 million and although that won’t be the fee it takes to sign him, he still won’t come cheap.
Manchester United have showed interest in Rios
This link does feel somewhat flawed. Forest have a number of midfielders on their books and even if one or two leave it would still leave the team well-stocked in that area.
It was claimed in July that United wanted to sign Rios, according to Goal, although they do face a fight to be in Europe next season and that might rule them out.
The links to bigger Premier League clubs than Forest do suggest that the Reds aren’t overly interested or at least not quite as cemented in the race as some other clubs.
With Nuno Espirito Santo keen to work with a small squad, it’s unlikely that another midfielder will be signed – at least not unless a host of midfielders depart the City Ground in the summer.