Despite desperately needing to raise funds before the 30th of June PSR deadline, Nottingham Forest are looking to strengthen their ranks, aiming to build on the 17th-placed Premier League finish during the 2023/24 campaign.
Nuno Espírito Santo inherited the squad from former boss Steve Cooper back in December, only having one month to try and bring in any players that he believes would’ve transformed the Reds.
He made the signings of Matz Sels, Rodrigo Ribiero and Gio Reyna, with the latter two only on loan at the City Ground and confirmed to be leaving the club at the end of the respective moves this month.
However, the summer presents a new opportunity for the Forest boss to put his spin on the side, potentially signing players who he believes could push his side towards mid-table and look to finally pull clear of the relegation zone after two seasons of danger.
Any business will have to be shrewd and value for money, with the club splashing a lot of money over the last couple of campaigns on numerous players who have failed to provide value for money since their moves on Trentside.
It already appears as though the Forest boss has identified one player who he believes could transform the club’s midfield, but it wouldn’t be the first time the Reds have targeted this player, with the side already being linked with the talent last season.
Nottingham Forest interested in signing talented £26m midfielder
According to Portuguese newspaper Record, via Sport Witness, Forest are interested in signing Benfica midfielder Florentino Luis this summer.
The report states that Everton also remain interested in the 24-year-old despite their own financial issues, with the Reds now joining the race for his signature.
The Benfica academy graduate, who has a €120m (£102m) release clause in his current contract, wouldn’t require a big anywhere near that figure for the Portuguese club to part ways with their talent, with a bid of €30m (£26m) expected to be enough to secure his services.
He’s featured 30 times in Liga Portugal during 2022/23, with only 17 of those appearances coming from the starting lineup, featuring for a total of 1,683 minutes under boss Roger Schmidt.
Whilst it may seem surprising that the club are willing to spend big given their recent point deduction, but, it would be a worthwhile investment, with Luis undoubtedly a huge upgrade on one current Forest player.
Why Florentino Luis would be an upgrade on Ibrahim Sangare
Ivorian ball-winner Ibrahim Sangare arrived at the City Ground for a fee in the region of £30m, following huge interest during multiple transfer windows, but the move hasn’t worked out for either side as of now.
The former PSV Eindhoven talent has only featured 17 times for the Reds, only making three starts since Nuno’s appointment back in December.
It’s very evident that when comparing the Portuguese talent to Sangare, the Benfica talent is a more rounded player, who would have a greater impact on the current squad on Trentside.
He averages 74 passes per 90, with 89% of the passes he’s attempted this campaign finding a teammate, 7.6 of which are progressive, with Luis eager to play the ball forward at every opportunity.
Passes per 90
74
37
Pass percentage
89%
80%
Progressive passes
7.6
3.8
Tackles
4.2
3.7
Interceptions
2.6
1.4
Aerials won
1.3
0.7
Unfortunately, Sangare can't get anywhere near those figures this season, with his figure of 37 passes and 3.8 progressive passes respectively, considerably short of the 24-year-old Benfica sensation.
Florentino has produced some unbelievable numbers this campaign, having been hailed as "the kind of player every coach would like to have in their squad" by former Benfica coach Joao Tralhao, with Nuno evidently feeling the same way with the recent rumours over a potential deal for the ace.
Whilst Sangare has been utilised as a player who looks to regain possession as much as possible, Luis has dominated the Ivorian, winning more tackles, aerial duels and averaging nearly two times more interceptions.
Luis’ ability with and without the ball would transform Forest’s midfield, needing to work tirelessly to secure a deal for the £26m talent – which could effectively be a cheap deal if Sangare is sold this window.
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