WOW: Luck for Nottingham Forest after news reached OUT to Marinakis on January Top wishlist candidate Major career threatening injury faced…. Would have be a Bad deal sealed.
Still unbeaten after five matchdays, thanks to Ramon Sosa’s equalizer in the 2-2 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion, Nuno Espirito Santo’s Nottingham Forest are far from looking like a team in relegation trouble.
While their tally of six goals in five games suggests there’s room for improvement, Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi—when fit—have proven to be formidable opponents for most Premier League defenses. In hindsight, the concerns over the lack of new center-forward signings may have been overstated.
Forest attempted but failed to bring in strikers like Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt and Eddie Nketiah, now at Crystal Palace. A £25 million bid for Brentford’s Yoane Wissa was also rejected. Santiago Gimenez came closest to joining, with Feyenoord accepting an offer of up to £30 million. However, the Mexican international decided to stay with the Dutch champions, a decision that may now seem more of a loss for Gimenez than for Forest.
Gimenez was stretchered off during Feyenoord’s 2-0 win over NAC Breda, clutching the back of his leg in distress. The severity of his injury is still unknown, but Feyenoord, already struggling after a heavy 4-0 Champions League defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, will be hoping for good news amid growing concerns about a lengthy absence for the striker.
After the transfer window closed, Feyenoord director Dennis te Kloese explained that Gimenez had doubts about a move to Nottingham Forest, and the club shared those concerns. “We were not 100 percent convinced, and neither was he,” te Kloese told ESPN. “So we decided to continue together. I’m not sad about it at all.”
However, Feyenoord fans’ initial relief has turned to disappointment. While Nottingham Forest pulled off a stunning win over Liverpool at Anfield, Feyenoord could only manage a draw with newly promoted FC Groningen. Gimenez’s form has been underwhelming in 2024, and with his current injury, there is no guarantee he’ll be back before 2025.
In contrast, despite red cards for both Morgan Gibbs-White and Nuno in the dramatic draw with Brighton, the mood at Nottingham Forest remains positive.