Cunha signs as Gibbs-White leaves: Nottingham Forest predicted XI for 25/26 start

03/22/2025 12:00 PM

Nottingham Forest will already be aiming to build on the stunning success of this season in the 2025/26 campaign, but will have to respond to major interest in star players.

Having previously been left fighting relegation ever since their promotion back to the Premier League, this time around has been very different for the Midlands outfit as Nuno Espirito Santo‘s side have defied plenty of odds and expectations this season to put themselves in an excellent position to qualify for Champions League football.

Inevitably though that has seen some key players attract significant interest from elsewhere ahead of the summer transfer window.

Former scout Mick Brown has told Football Insider that Man United manager Ruben Amorim is a fan of Nottingham Forest talisman Morgan Gibbs-White, lining the Red Devils up to make a move for the attacking midfielder at the end of the season, and he is not the only one attracting interest.

Chelsea are believed to still be keen on Murillo after Nottingham Forest rejected a bid back in January, so he could be another who becomes hard to keep at The City Ground.

Those sales though would generate plenty of funds that could then be reinvested in strengthening the squad available to Espirito Santo.

So here is a look at how Football Insider predicts Nottingham Forest will line up for their first game of the 2025/26 season.

Matz Sels

It has been an incredible seasons for Matz Sels from an individual perspective as well, with the Belgian emerging as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League thanks to a string of clean sheets aided by a number of outstanding saves. That ought to mean that the 33-year-old is first choice between the posts again at The City Ground come next season.

Ola Aina

As things stand the right-back is out of contract at the end of this season, although Nottingham Forest are understood to be closing in on a new deal for Aina. Freeing up wages from other sales would help them to fund that contract, and with the 28-year-old another who has excelled this season, they will want him in their side in the 2025/26 campaign as well.

Nikola Milenkovic

While he has not grabbed the headlines this season, Milenkovic has still become a key player for Espirito Santo’s side. Not only is the Serbian consistently reliable in defence, he also comes up with some vital goals too, so he is undoubtedly going to be a player the club look for next season, particularly if Murillo moves on.

Morato

If Murillo is to depart then Nottingham Forest will need a new first choice option to partner Milenkovic in the centre of defence. That could come in the form of Morato, who is still in his first season at The City Ground, and should be better prepared to step into the role of a regular starter next season once he has had a season to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League and Nuno’s preferences.

Nottingham Forest to battle Bournemouth for left-back signing

David Moller Wolfe

As exclusively revealed by Football Insider both Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth scouted AZ Alkmaar left-back David Moller Wolfe during his side’s recent Europa League clash with Tottenham. The Norway international is among the highest rated in his position in Europe, so would be a coup as a signing. With Espirito Santo’s side leading the Cherries in the race for Champions League football, taking advantage of that position come the end of the season could help them win the race for the 22-year-old against Andoni Iraola’s similarly upstart Cherries.

Elliot Anderson

Signed from Newcastle United back in the summer, Anderson has enjoyed an impressive debut season at The City Ground. Fast becoming one of the first choice options in the centre of the park, the 22-year-old looks set to be an asset for the Midlands outfit for many more years to come after they took advantage of the Magpies’ PSR issues to sign him.

Ryan Yates

Yates already feels like something of a stalwart of this Nottingham Forest side but at 27-years-old he still has plenty of time on his side yet. His leadership and presence feel like key attributes for this side, and so he will no doubt once again form an integral part of Espirito Santo’s plans come next season.

Attack to get a new look at The City Ground

Anthony Elanga

Yet another player who has enjoyed an incredible season from an individual perspective for Nottingham Forest, the winger’s pace has caused plenty of problems for opposition defences. That has been backed up with a growing cutting edge in front of goal in terms of both creating and taking chances, which should ensure he is once again among the focal points for this side from the start of next season.

Callum Hudson-Odoi

Again, Hudson-Odoi has been enjoying a magnificent individual campaign with his performances, which even saw him touted for a potential England recall earlier this month, although that failed to materialise. Even so, if the winger continues to perform as he is, those talks of a return to the Three Lions setup will continue, while also ensuring he remains among the regular starters for Espirito Santo’s side in the 2025/26 campaign.

Matheus Cunha

If Gibbs-White is to leave attacking reinforcements are going to be a must for Nottingham Forest, with reports from talkSPORT indicating they are lining up a club-record bid for Wolves attacker Matheus Cunha come the summer, with Arsenal worried about his explosive tendencies. Despite his disciplinary issues, the Brazilian has been outstanding in a struggling side this season, and so he could flourish even more with a stronger squad around him at The City Ground, and potentially, a route into the Champions League.

Yoane Wissa

Another new addition to the attack at The City Ground come the summer could come in the form of Yoane Wissa. Football Insider understands that Nottingham Forest are in a good position to sign the Brentford striker for £15-20million in the summer transfer window. The 28-year-old is enjoying his most prolific Premier League season so far in terms of goals, and so his addition to the squad would represent a major statement of intent from The City Ground.

All of that would ensure that despite those exits, this would still be a very promising Nottingham Forest team, especially considering the fact it does not even feature the likes of their current top scorer, Chris Wood, who is in the midst of his best campaign in the Premier League.

The New Zealander would surely be expected to play a role again next term but as he turns 34 in December the addition of attacking talents such as Cunha and Wissa would help drive this impressive Forest side into a new era.

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