Nottingham Forest has finally signed £50m winger eyed by Steve Cooper in 2022

Nottingham Forest have come a long way since the scattergun days of 2022 which saw around 30 new players signed across two transfer windows following promotion.

In the grand scheme of things, it kind of worked. Forest remain in the Premier League – albeit just – and are now thriving under the stewardship of Nuno Espirito Santo.

Forest defeated Aston Villa on Saturday to jump to fourth place in the Premier League table. Anthony Elanga bagged the winner and was praised by Theo Walcott afterwards.

Elanga is proof of the strides that the club has made in terms of recruitment in recent times. He cost just £15 million in the summer of 2023 and he’s really taken his career to the next level.

Forest have been linked with Victor Lindelof in recent days and now, it would appear as though more fresh links are emerging when it comes to the January transfer window.

Nottingham Forest want Johan Bakayoko

Bakayoko is a player that Forest have wanted to sign previously back in 2022 following promotion to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years.

According to Caught Offside, the Reds are now in the mix alongside Newcastle and Liverpool to try and sign the winger during the January transfer window from PSV.

Bakayoko – a former teammate of Ibrahim Sangare – is 21-years-old and has managed to score six goals in 21 appearances this season from the right wing.

Crucially, he is left-footed and the next winger addition to the ranks that Forest make has to boast that ability given that the current wide options are all predominantly right-footed.

 

Bakayoko came through the ranks with PSV and has scored 27 times for the club in 105 appearances, sampling Champions League football in the process.

 

What Romelu Lukaku said about Johan Bakayoko

The lively performer has a solid reputation as a fine young talent and despite his tender years, he’s already made 18 appearances for the Belgium national team.