Nottingham Forest is apparently planning an audacious loan transfer for a top-level international player this summer.
Forest in slow summer transfer window
Since their promotion to the Premier League in 2022, Nottingham Forest have had a remarkably high squad turnover and are frequently among the busiest teams in the division.
In their first season back in the top flight, they signed 30 players, including Morgan Gibbs-White and Taiwo Awoniyi. They then signed 17 new players for the 2023/24 season, including Callum Hudson-Odoi, Anthony Elanga, and Murillo.
This season, Nuno Espírito Santo’s team has been slow to add new players, with only five joining. They signed Elliot Anderson from Newcastle United for £35 million, and Nikola Milenkovic arrived from Fiorentina to replace Moussa Niakhate, who joined Lyon.
There have also been moves for Brazilian goalkeeper Carlos Miguel, as well as teenage players Mark Stamenic and Eric Moreira from Red Star and St Pauli. The club’s biggest accomplishment this summer so far has been its ability to keep hold of excellent defender Murillo and Gibbs-White, both of whom had been linked with moves away during the 2023-24 season.
Forest are seeking to build a quality team around their two biggest stars at the City Ground, and they are apparently planning an audacious loan transfer to assist Nuno do just that.
Nottingham Forest chase Arsenal man
The Sun reports that the Reds are pursuing an unusual bid to sign out-of-favour Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. The England international, who served as Jordan Pickford’s deputy at EURO 2024, fell out of favour at the Emirates Stadium after David Raya arrived last summer. He only appeared in six Premier League games after being dropped in favour of Raya, both of which were against Brentford while the Spaniard was ineligible.
He was set to leave this summer in search of first-team play, but the Gunners have struggled to find anyone prepared to pay their estimated £30 million price tag, with Newcastle and Chelsea previously connected but later decided to buy alternative goalkeepers.
According to The Sun, Forest are considering making an offer to take the former Arsenal number one on loan for the upcoming season, as Espirito Santo’s side is unwilling to meet the asking price for a permanent deal.
Forest are “willing to gamble” to see if the Gunners will let Ramsdale “leave on loan right at the end of the window” and believe that “paying all of Ramsdale’s wages plus a chunky bonus may give them a real chance” of pulling off the coup.
The goalkeeper signed a new contract with Arsenal in 2023, which means he has only two years remaining on his £120,000-per-week agreement at the Emirates Stadium, though the Gunners have the option to extend it by another year.
Despite being second choice, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised his backup shot stopper last season, describing his mentality as “exceptional”.
“He’s been exceptional around the place with the situation. Like everybody. We love him more for sure. We have him every day. We know him, we know his character and we are really happy to have him.”
Ramsdale is unquestionably a step above Nuno’s present alternatives, but the addition of another two goalkeepers this summer would just muddy the waters further following the tussle for the number one slot at the City Ground since their promotion.
