Nottingham Forest are in determined want of a brand new talisman earlier than the season ends in January, with the present first-team squad severely missing in objectives for the 2025/26 season.
The Reds at the moment sit one place above the relegation zone, 5 factors away from West Ham United, however an absence of objectives has meant they wrestle within the Premier League.
Sean Dyche’s aspect have solely scored 23 objectives of their first 23 league video games, with solely bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers having scored fewer objectives.
Morgan Gibbs-White is the one participant to have scored greater than three objectives within the league this season, however no centre-forward has scored greater than two to this point this season.
Because of this, Lorenzo Lucca was quickly transferred from Napoli to the Metropolis Floor, however this didn’t stop plenty of different attacking abilities from making their transfer by the deadline.
Nottingham Forest need former PL talisman this month
In current days, Forest have submitted a £35m bid for Crystal Palace star Jean-Philippe Mateta, however the deal is more likely to be controversial given the rivalry between the 2 golf equipment.
The Frenchman is likely one of the league’s most in-demand strikers this month, with the likes of Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur additionally eager on signing the 28-year-old.
Regardless of curiosity from different nations, the Eagles star has already agreed private phrases with Dyche’s males, however the deal will solely undergo if a £40m price ticket is met.
Nevertheless, he isn’t the one talisman they’re eyeing in the mean time, with Fenerbahce star John Duran being an alternative choice at the moment being thought-about by the executives.
Based on A Spor, the Reds are eager to signal the previous Aston Villa star, who joined Al Nasr for a whopping £64 million a 12 months in the past.
Based on the newspaper, his present contract might be terminated whereas he’s on mortgage in Turkey, which may pave the way in which for the Colombian worldwide to return to the Premier League.
Nevertheless, the Reds aren’t the one ones focusing on the 22-year-old, with the likes of Everton, Bournemouth and West Ham at the moment eyeing his signature.
Why Duran is healthier than Mateta at Forest
Oliver Glasner’s aspect have made a transfer to signal Jorgen Strand Larsen from Wolves, and there’s no doubt that Forest have been pushing for Mateta in current days.
The Norwegian, who has been on the Reds’ radar this month, is the topic of a £45m + £5m bid from the Eagles, which may open the door for the Frenchman to go away.
Such a transfer could be a membership document for Palace and Forest would undoubtedly profit from such a transfer, with Mateta doubtlessly free to finish a transfer to the Metropolis Floor.
A deal for the Eagles star would give Dyche a coveted choice within the Premier League, with the 28-year-old having scored 22 league objectives prior to now 18 months alone.
Nevertheless, the bosses ought to flip their consideration away from signing the Frenchman, particularly if a deal for former Villa talisman Duran might be finalized earlier than the window closes.
Final summer time’s £66m switch confirmed the expertise he has within the closing third, and his underlying stats from final season present why he could be a greater addition than the Palace man.
Dubbed a “monster” by expertise scout Jacek Kulig, Duran improved his minutes-per-goal ratio and elevated the variety of photographs on the right track within the 2024/25 season.
Such numbers exhibit his unbelievable skill in entrance of aim, and his scientific nature undoubtedly ended Forest’s struggles inside the closing third.
He additionally scores extra photographs on the right track per 90 factors and in addition scores extra objectives per 90 factors, reaffirming his scientific superiority over Mateta within the Premier League.
Comparability of Duran and Mateta in PL (2024/25) | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (each 90) | duran | arithmetic |
video games performed | 20 | 37 |
Variety of factors scored | 7 | 14 |
time per aim | 89 | 189 |
Accuracy of photographs on the right track | 48% | 46% |
shot on the right track | 2.2 | 1.2 |
Targets per 90 factors | 1.01 | 0.47 |
aerial received | 2.7 | 2.1 |
Contact contained in the 18 yard field | 7.1 | 3.4 |
Statistics by FotMob | ||
The Colombian’s superiority over the Frenchman is additional emphasised by the truth that he wins extra aerial duels per 90 and in addition registers extra touches per 90 within the opposition field.
The aforementioned numbers match proper into Dyche’s present long-ball philosophy, which requires heart forwards to dominate within the air whereas additionally being in the appropriate place on the proper time.
It stays to be seen whether or not Duran is open to a return to the Premier League, however such a transfer would undoubtedly improve the choices obtainable to managers within the East Midlands.
Mateta would even be an amazing choice, however the aforementioned stats make it clear that the previous Villa man could be a greater addition through the January interval.
However with that window closing in a couple of days, leaders might want to act rapidly to keep away from lacking out on one other talisman to safe their Premier League place.
Nottingham Forest are at the moment getting ready to signing their largest contract since Anderson
Like Anderson, a confirmed star within the Premier League, his signing with Forest could be transformative.
