Nottingham Forest must regret selling a £5m striker who has outperformed Mateta.

Nottingham Forest have struggled mightily to attain objectives in the course of the 2025/26 Premier League season, which has undoubtedly stored the membership locked in a relegation battle.

Sean Dyche’s facet have scored simply 24 factors in 24 league video games up to now, with attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White at the moment prime scorer with six objectives.

No middle ahead has scored greater than two objectives in a league match this season, and goalkeeper Chris Wooden has been out injured since final season after present process knee surgical procedure.

Igor Jesus and Taiwo Awoniyi have solely scored three objectives mixed within the prime flight, underscoring the challenges the supervisor has needed to take care of since taking up.

Lorenzo Lucca was known as as much as the Metropolis Floor to enhance the scenario, however the Italian was not the one attacker to catch their consideration in January.

How shut Nottingham Forest had been to signing Mateta

In a bid to herald a brand new centre-forward this winter, Forest supervisor has named Crystal Palace star Jean-Philippe Mateta as an possibility that would enhance his squad.

The Frenchman has expressed his want to depart Selhurst Park in January, resulting in the 28-year-old submitting a switch request in a bid to pressure a transfer.

Consequently, the Reds provided him round £35m for his companies, however such a proposal fell wanting Oliver Glasner’s valuation of round £40m.

Mateta had even agreed private phrases with Diche’s males for the switch, till AC Milan burst into the race and took the lead, agreeing to depart in recognition of his achievements.

The participant traveled to Italy for a medical verify with the Italian nationwide workforce, however a knee harm was famous in the course of the medical take a look at, so the switch didn’t materialize.

Former Forest striker nonetheless outperforms Mateta after leaving the membership

Given the massive rumors about attacking reinforcements in January, the Forest devoted will little doubt be dissatisfied by the shortage of additives inside the remaining third.

Lucca has but to make his debut on the Metropolis Floor, however his lack of Premier League expertise definitely makes him a considerably dangerous addition to the squad this winter.

Additionally it is unclear whether or not the Italian will turn out to be a daily starter underneath Diche, or whether or not the supervisor will stick near Jesus and supply provides in entrance of objective.

Mateta would have positively been an improve to our attacking choices, with the Frenchman already having scored eight league objectives in 2025/26.

Nonetheless, the membership could have made a mistake in permitting former striker Sam Surridge to maneuver to the East Midlands, given his type away from the Metropolis Floor in recent times.

The Englishman made a complete of fifty appearances for the Reds after becoming a member of for £2 million from Stoke Metropolis in January 2022.

The 27-year-old scored 11 objectives in 18 months within the East Midlands, usually serving to the Reds return to the Premier League.

Nonetheless, in his first season again within the prime flight, he was usually seen as a bit-part participant underneath supervisor Steve Cooper, earlier than finishing a £5 million transfer to MLS facet Nashville SC in 2023.

Since then, Surridge has performed 88 video games for the American membership, scoring 51 objectives, after which confirmed nice capability in entrance of objective.

Throughout his most up-to-date season in MLS, the 27-year-old scored 31 objectives in 40 appearances, with solely iconic participant Lionel Messi scoring extra objectives.

Surridge has reached astronomical ranges since leaving the Metropolis Floor, and it has since turn out to be clear that the membership made a mistake in letting him depart.

Mateta has discovered the again of the online simply 22 instances up to now 18 months, however the former Forest star has scored an additional 9 objectives, and his scientific acumen has continued to shine by way of in MLS. He was merely wonderful, with teammate Daniel Lovitz praising him as “a very harmful man to play in opposition to” after scoring a hat trick in a 3-2 win over the New England Revolution.

There is no such thing as a doubt that he has proven the goal-scoring expertise wanted to get the Reds out of their present scenario, and the bosses will little doubt remorse the choice to let him depart.

Contemplating his current exploits in America, £5 million looks as if a really low worth, however that loss may very well be returned on the finish of the season.