With Nottingham Forest players reporting back for duty this week, the countdown to the new Premier League campaign is well and truly on.
It is a big pre-season for Steve Cooper’s side as they aim to push on in the top-flight. And while it has been a quiet start to the summer transfer window, activity is expected to also start ramping up on that front.
July has the makings of being an important month for the Reds. Here’s our take on the latest goings-on at the City Ground.
Transfer dominos
Sorting out the goalkeeping situation is taking a little longer than Forest might have anticipated. Manchester United dragging their heels over Dean Henderson as they address their own No.1 problems means patience is being required.
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The transfer links to other shot-stoppers continue to come in the meantime. It may be that the Reds need two additions there, if they seek a loan for George Shelvey and want to make sure they have three senior custodians on the books.
They have previously been linked with Asmir Begovic, who is a free agent after leaving Everton. However, he is apparently now on QPR’s radar as a potential replacement for Seny Dieng, who is wanted by Middlesbrough.
Boro are also keen on former Forest man Karl Darlow, according to The Sun. He is said to have a £5 million price tag on his head, but that could increase as interest grows - with Bournemouth and Blackburn Rovers joining the race for his signature.
Hence Middlesbrough could turn to Dieng and Rangers could target Begovic. The Reds will hope to avoid getting caught up in this merry-go-round by getting a deal for Henderson sorted as soon as possible.
Missing out
Back in January, Forest were pretty keen on adding another Brazilian starlet to their ranks. They made a push to sign Angelo Gabriel before the window closed, but he ended up staying with Santos.
Reports from Brazil suggested the Reds would make a fresh attempt to capture the 18-year-old this summer. However, it seems the teenager is on the verge of heading to Chelsea.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports the first part of his medical was completed in Brazil, ahead of penning a six-year contract with the option for a further 12 months beyond that. It is suggested the Blues will immediately loan Gabriel out, with Strasbourg - who recently announced investment by the consortium BlueCo, which purchased Chelsea last year - a possible destination.
Pro deals
Nice to see the club put on a special event at the Nigel Doughty Academy to mark a number of second and third-year scholars signing their first professional contracts. It was a proud moment for the players, as well as their families who were in attendance to watch the presentations.
Josh Powell, Jack Nadin, Aaron Bott, Joe Gardner, Justin Hanks, Sam Collins, Jack Thompson, Ben Perry, Jimmy Sinclair and Kyle McAdam all penned pro deals. James Clarridge signed a new contract extension with the club.
"We're delighted to celebrate the scholars signing their professional contracts and celebrate the success and journey we have had with them,” assistant academy manager Chris McGuane told the official website.
"Some of them have been with us from pre-academy and gone on the entire journey, so recognising them as the next step in their journey and rewarding them with a professional contract is a fantastic achievement which we wanted to celebrate with them this evening."
Catching the eye
Morgan Gibbs-White continues to impress for England Under-21s at the European Championships. Setting up Anthony Gordon for the winner against Portugal which secured a semi-final spot was his third assist of the tournament, meaning he tops that particular list.
England have not reached this stage of the competition since 2017. They now take on Israel on Wednesday, with Lee Carsley’s side having already beaten their next opponents in the group stages.
Gibbs-White’s performances have not gone unnoticed. In addition to Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate having cast his eye over the team, the Daily Express have mused Chelsea should consider the Forest ace as a replacement for the recently-departed Mason Mount.
Meanwhile, plenty of fans have questioned the lack of TV coverage for the tournament. Sky and the BBC are said to have passed up the chance to screen games so far, leaving supporters watching via UEFA’s website.
“It’s a little bit frustrating because you always want to showcase the next generation,” Carsley said prior to Sunday’s game. “It would have been brilliant to see what the next seniors look like. We hope if we keep progressing then we can get a little bit more coverage.”
Ex-Red’s appointment
Former Forest defender Ian Breckin is back in English football. He has made the switch from Monaco to join Middlesbrough as a senior scout.
The Reds’ player of the year in 2006, 'Breckinbauer', as he was nicknamed by fans, has forged a reputation as a top talent spotter since retiring and then having a short spell in coaching. He has previously worked for Sunderland, Manchester City and RB Leipzig.
