'Opening day': Nottingham Forest to bid for Premier League star as soon as the summer transfer window opens as claim made

03/28/2025 09:30 AM

With Champions League football looking more likely by the day, Nottingham Forest will want to be efficient in building their ideal squad for European football.

Nuno Espirito Santo was unhappy about the new transfer window dates which will see the start of June have its own ten-day mini-window for clubs in the Club World Cup. The Forest manager would’ve much preferred the window to shut before the start of the Premier League season, though.

To avoid the risk of missing out on their top targets in this mini-window, Forest are attempting to tie up other business beforehand as Ola Aina and Neco Williams have been offered new contracts to avoid any distractions in this crucial early window stage.

Clearly, the main priority, just as it was in January, will be to sign extra attacking support as Evangelos Marinakis is already looking for a striker. According to a recent claim, Reds fans won’t have to wait long to see whether the Forest owner is successful in procuring his top target.

Nottingham Forest expected to go early in their Matheus Cunha pursuit

With Matheus Cunha’s £62.5m release clause readily available and understood information for all interested parties, it would make sense for Marinakis to waste no time in moving in for his top attacking choice.

Marinakis wanted Cunha as a priority in January but the deal never materialised, according to Wolves experts on the E&S podcast, though, Forest will quickly return with a bid for the Brazilian.

Host Nathan Judah said: "I'm calling this will happen at the end of the season. On the day when the transfer window opens up, Nottingham Forest will put in a bid for Matheus Cunha straight away on day one.

"[…]They will trigger that clause and I think that will trigger other teams, whether it's abroad or in this country to match that very, very quickly.

"I don't think he'll go to Nottingham Forest, by the way, even if they get Champions League football. I'd be absolutely stunned, but I can see that happening [a bid being made], in terms of a good, savvy media look from Nottingham Forest and an ambition point of view."

Certainly, a logical take on the situation, but a journalist closer to the City Ground side of the rumour seems less convinced of a bid.

Nottingham Forest expert is more cautious about a move for Matheus Cunha

Once the January window closed, Cunha said he never wanted to leave Wolves and signed a new contract at Molineux, including the release clause that Forest could trigger.

However, according to Paul Taylor of The Athletic, the Wolves experts may be getting ahead of themselves in terms of Forest’s chances of making a move.

He said: “When you look back on it now, you wonder how much of that mini saga was a catalyst for him [Cunha] to get improved terms at Wolves. You still suspect he will move on in the summer; that he will be sold if somebody comes up with the right amount of money.

“But, unless they do sell Morgan Gibbs-White or Elanga/Callum Hudson-Odoi themselves, it is hard to see where he would fit in at Forest now. Plus the likely price tag on his head would be very significant.”

It was also revealed recently that Cunha isn’t the most hardworking forward which may put off Espirito Santo, so any talk of an immediate rush from Forest to sign the Brazilian striker may be far off the mark.