Nottingham Forest's Relegation Fire Sale: Where the Squad Goes Next

The cruel mathematics of football have caught up with Nottingham Forest. Despite serving up a genuinely impressive display at the Etihad on Wednesday, Nuno Espirito Santo's side have tumbled from two points clear of the drop zone into the mire—now clinging above West Ham on goal difference alone after the Hammers' victory at Craven Cottage. It's a sobering reminder that one decent away performance counts for precious little when the broader picture is this bleak.

Having already mapped out the post-relegation destinations for Tottenham and West Ham, it's time to cast the same ruthless eye over Forest's squad. The uncomfortable truth that emerges? Save for a couple of genuinely quality operators, this is a profoundly average collection of players.

The Goalkeepers

John Victor to West Ham

West Ham left him stranded at Rio airport after bottling their original commitment and pivoting towards Mads Hermansen instead. That move hasn't exactly revolutionised their goalkeeping department—Hermansen has become just another in an endless procession of Hammers stoppers unable to dislodge the seemingly indestructible Alphonse Areola.

Matz Sels to Leeds

Karl Darlow remains Forest's genuine first-choice keeper in the Premier League. Let that sink in.

Stefan Ortega to Manchester City

Back to the Etihad, stepping into the void left by James Trafford's inevitable departure to Newcastle—a transfer that should have happened twelve months earlier.

The Defenders

Nikola Milenkovic to Manchester United

Whatever Harry Maguire's contractual situation, his performances under both Michael Carrick and Ruben Amorim have conclusively demonstrated that United's defensive requirements lean heavily towards aerial prowess and physical dominance. In an era where set-pieces increasingly dominate the Premier League landscape, centre-backs with genuine stature are becoming a scarce commodity.

Murillo to Chelsea

Chelsea, naturally, will ignore the height memo entirely and pursue a 5ft 11in centre-back on the basis that he's young, expensive, and wanted by someone in Manchester.

Jair Cunha to Bournemouth

The Cherries have a well-documented appetite for two-footed defenders. Having offloaded Dean Huijsen and Ilya Zabarnyi last summer, they'll likely require another defensive overhaul before season's end—Marcos Senesi and James Hill are simply too good to escape the attentions of bigger clubs.

Morato to Middlesbrough

Boro might get promoted, and they've got form with Brazilian talent (or at least they did, a couple of decades ago).

Neco Williams to Liverpool

He quit Anfield to escape Robertson's shadow, but his return as the Scot's successor will prove illusory. Milos Kerkez's development will relegate him to the bench for most of his boyhood club homecoming.

Ola Aina to Brentford

Michael Kayode's retention at Brentford seems increasingly unlikely—the 21-year-old's pace, power and that extraordinary long throw make him a target for bigger outfits. Aina represents a cheaper, slower, considerably older alternative.

Nicolo Savona to Torino

The Italian defender must be questioning his career decisions. He traded Juventus and a breakthrough season for Forest, only to find himself marginalised when Aina returned, then sidelined by a knee injury requiring surgery. An offer from Torino—his hometown club—would surely appeal to a player who was in the Italy squad just eighteen months ago.

The Midfielders

Ibrahim Sangare to Crystal Palace

Palace will bank roughly £100m from Adam Wharton's departure and promptly spend it on five £20m players. Sangare, a 28-year-old with proven Premier League credentials, becomes their defensive midfield downgrade as they begin their Championship descent.

Elliot Anderson to Manchester City

City won't risk allowing Manchester United, Liverpool or others to cherry-pick elite deep-lying playmakers while serious questions persist over Rodri's fitness and whether he'll recapture his pre-ACL form. Anderson stays put.

Nicolas Dominguez to CSKA Moscow

The Buenos Aires-born midfielder has earned the dubious distinction of inspiring a search through an online random football club generator for future relegation lists. Moscow winters await.

Morgan Gibbs-White to Newcastle

The Tottenham door has firmly shut—Xavi Simons fell victim to Gibbs-White's release clause chaos last summer. Newcastle's Anthony Elanga signing hasn't exactly flourished, but Eddie Howe's track record with player development suggests he'll view Gibbs-White as an untapped resource.

James McAtee to Borussia Dortmund

More Arijanet Muric than Cole Palmer on Manchester City's sale regret spectrum, though Forest's dysfunction bears much of the blame. A spell in Germany to showcase his quality before a Premier League return he'll likely regret once he realises the top flight has transformed into little more than set-piece choreography.

The Attackers

Omari Hutchinson to AC Milan

The refuge for Premier League castaways seeking redemption—or, more often, simply somewhere to see out their contracts.

Callum Hudson-Odoi to Aston Villa

Unai Emery will recruit him early in the window before Villa haemorrhage their major assets following Champions League qualification misery. Emery subsequently departs for greener pastures, and Hudson-Odoi gets reassigned to Leeds when Villa's own relegation list comes due.

Dan Ndoye to Bologna

His departure from Bologna and subsequent Forest spell has generated minimal enthusiasm from anyone involved. Bologna would likely reclaim him for pocket change.

Dilane Bakwa to Sunderland

BlueCo extracted roughly £35m from Forest for a player who's started three Premier League matches and amassed 798 competitive minutes in his debut season—after rejecting a £30m bid. Edu Gaspar's negotiating prowess remains questionable, and Evangelos Marinakis' decision to back him over Nuno Espirito Santo now looks catastrophic.

Sunderland, incidentally, have plenty of French players already.

Igor Jesus to West Ham

The logical endpoint for West Ham's strategy of importing foreign strikers who subsequently fail to score in the Premier League.

Taiwo Awoniyi to West Ham

You can't fault their persistence.

Chris Wood to Al Nassr

The archetypal mercenary footballer in search of a Saudi payday. His arrival at Al Nassr should finally appease Cristiano Ronaldo, still smarting from Al Hilal's successful recruitment of Karim Benzema.