Report: Nottingham Forest to rival West Ham United for the 'next Vincent Kompany'
03/13/2025 07:00 AM
Nottingham Forest will be on the lookout for some new players during the summer transfer window.
The Reds could be in the Champions League during the 2025/26 campaign and that could allow Forest to go shopping in a different market ahead of next season.
A striker will definitely be on the cards. Evangelos Marinakis tried hard for a new forward in January but was thwarted by inflated prices and PSR loitering in the background.
There will be other targets in the mind of Nuno Espirito Santo, however. The squad will need to be somewhat bigger if Europe is on the cards and the recruitment must be spot on.
Murillo recently signed a new Forest contract but he will once again be targeted by top clubs and if he does go, perhaps defensive reinforcements will be necessary.
Nottingham Forest want Koni De Winter
According to Give Me Sport, Forest are in the mix to sign a defender who, as per the report, has been likened to the legendary Belgian performer Vincent Kompany.
De Winter is on loan at Genoa from Juventus at the moment and has made 17 appearances in all competitions during the 2024/25 campaign.
The one-cap Belgium youngster has made two appearances for the Old Lady but it would appear that they’re trying to offload him in the summer.
De Winter has a price tag of around £25 million and for a player who is 22-years-old that doesn’t feel like a bad valuation to be placed on his head.
Other Premier League clubs are in the mix to sign De Winter. It’s believed that West Ham and Wolves are very keen, whilst Manchester United have been linked previously.
Koni De Winter stats 2024/25
A centre-back will definitely be in the sights of Forest should Murillo leave, although the club might look to sign another one anyway.
Willy Boly will be out of contract, leaving Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato and David Carmo as the four central defensive options available to Espirito Santo.
| Koni De Winter Serie A stats 2024/25 | Total |
| Appearances | 16 |
| Tackles | 23 |
| Interceptions | 13 |
| Fouls | 27 |
| Aerials Won | 82 |
De Winter is young, yet quite experienced in men’s football, making him a useful addition at a relative cheap price to bolster the strength in depth.
Forest hit the jackpot the last time they purchased a centre-back from Serie A when they signed Milenkovic and perhaps history can repeat itself here.
