Report: Nottingham Forest target is now unhappy and wants January transfer
01/02/2025 05:00 AM
Nottingham Forest will be trying to sign a couple of players this month but the criteria for any new signings will need to fit a very meticulous recruitment strategy.
Forest have worked hard to change the perception of the club in the transfer window after signing 30 players following promotion to the Premier League in 2022.
In the summer, 11 new additions were made with emphasis placed on either proven players or ones with bags of potential and significant resale value.
Forest are eyeing Kaua Elias this month but the Brazilian attacker won’t be the only young talent on the radar of the City Ground outfit.
The Reds also want a striker with Forest eyeing a player from the MLS who is deemed similar to Chris Wood – and perhaps that would be a positive step in the right direction.
Nottingham Forest target James McAtee stance now shared
The Manchester City player could be sacrificed by Pep Guardiola this month as he looks to raise funds for a recruitment drive of his own.
McAtee has not been considered a regular in the team and in recent months several Premier League clubs – including Forest – have been watching him closely.
According to The Telegraph, it’s claimed that McAtee is now unhappy at the Etihad Stadium and is seeking to leave the club this month.
Forest are in the race to take him alongside West Ham, Brentford and Crystal Palace, with a number of clubs across Europe also keen on him.
Micah Richards is a huge fan of McAtee and last season he called him ‘fantastic’ for his efforts during a loan spell with Sheffield United.
Signing the talented 22-year-old won’t come easily with City holding firm on a valuation of £25 million for a player who has come through their own academy.
McAtee would be statement signing for Forest
This would be a really useful signing and would ensure that Forest are well stocked in the final third of the pitch.
Although the club has Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson as number 10 options, there is a sense that they can both play deeper if necessary.
McAtee has only featured for 357 minutes this season and with that in mind, it’s easy to see why he’s grown frustrated with the reigning champions.
At 22, the City academy graduate would fit the profile of a Forest signing in recent windows down to the ground with the player boasting bags of potential.
If Forest can justify spending the £25 million on another attacking midfielder then this might just be a deal that is well worth doing from the club’s perspective.
