Nottingham Forest’s attitude to the summer transfer market this year was far more casual than previous years’ chaotic dealings.
While they still signed 11 new signings, there was a strong push to prioritize quality over number in order to assist the team move out from the Premier League’s relegation zone.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s team spent £18 million in the summer window, which is impressive given the quality of new players like Nikola Milenkovic and James Ward-Prowse.
The club also made some impressive sales, with Orel Mangala and Moussa Niakhate costing the Reds around £47 million – a significant sum in their chances of remaining within the PSR for another fiscal year.
However, they displayed their ambition by rejecting a large offer for one of their talismans near the end of the window.
Anthony Elanga’s time at Nottingham Forest
Anthony Elanga, who joined Forest for £15 million from Manchester United last summer, arrived with high aspirations of being a success at the City Ground.
It’s safe to say he met those expectations, scoring 14 goals in the Premier League last season, the second most of any player on the Reds’ roster.
As a result of his outstanding performances in the East Midlands previous season, he drew significant interest during the summer transfer window, particularly from Newcastle United.
Anthony Elanga puts Nottingham Forest LEVEL through great counter attacking play from Morgan Gibbs-White! 👏🔥 pic.twitter.com/6cTtNOjxFk
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 10, 2024
The Reds reportedly rejected a £50 million approach from Eddie Howe’s side on deadline day, demonstrating Evangelos Marinakis’ desire to keep his top players.
However, it’s reasonable to assume that another signing was not as successful, since he was unable to break into the Forest first team during his time there.
How much Hwang Ui-Jo earns in 2024
South Korean forward Hwang Ui-Jo joined the Reds for £4.2 million from French club Bordeaux in the summer of 2022, before heading to sister club Olympiacos on a season-long loan.
He’s subsequently been loaned out to Norwich City, FC Seoul, and Alanyaspor, scoring only eight goals throughout the three stints, resulting in no competitive appearances for the Reds’ first squad and seeming like a complete waste of money.
Unsurprisingly, he has not been in a single matchday squad this season, having failed to arrange a move away from the East Midlands, with Hwang currently only receiving a salary from the club.
According to Capology, the 32-year-old earns a remarkable £45k per week, nearly twice as much as star man Elanga, who gets only £25k per week despite his great form over the last year.
With the club’s recent struggle with PSR, they will want to avoid a repetition of last season, when Nuno’s side received a four-point deduction.
Spending large sums of money on mediocre players will likely exacerbate the club’s financial problems, with the hierarchy having to cut relations with numerous players in order to avoid paying such high sums of money to periphery players.
Hwang is just one of the players the club sorely needs to get rid of, as the South Korean cannot justify his transfer fee and salaries at the City Ground.