With Nottingham Forest closing in on a stunning return to European football for the first time in 30 years, the club’s hierarchy will be rapidly drawing up plans for what promises to be a hectic summer transfer window. With Chris Wood now 33 years old and Taiwo Awoniyi’s persistent injuries preventing him from playing regularly, the club are in dire need of reinforcements up front.
This was evident in their lack of attacking threat in defeats to Aston Villa and Everton earlier this month, in which neither Wood nor Awoniyi were available. LWOS have rounded up five centre-forwards that Nottingham Forest should look to sign in the summer.
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Five Strikers Nottingham Forest Should Look to Sign This Summer
Yoane Wissa
Nottingham Forest launched an unsuccessful £22 million bid to prise Yoane Wissa away from Brentford during the January transfer window and will need little invitation to reignite their interest in the summer. The 28-year-old is currently enjoying the best Premier League season of his career, scoring 15 goals in 29 games, and has been an ever-present for the Bees since joining in 2021.
The Congolese international may be just 5’9”, significantly shorter than Chris Wood (6’3”), but is surprisingly effective in the air, scoring 8 of his 40 Premier League goals with his head. Wissa is a proven goalscorer at the highest level and will likely command a far higher fee than the £22 million Forest offered in January.
However, with just a year left on his contract, the Bees could be incentivised to cash in on the 28-year-old rather than allowing him to see out his contract and leave on a free transfer next summer.
Liam Delap
Ipswich Town’s 22-year-old striker Liam Delap has taken the Premier League by storm. In a struggling side, the former Manchester City youngster has been a rare bright spark, scoring 12 goals and showcasing immense potential.
Delap is tall, powerful, combative, and unafraid to use his physicality to bully opposing defenders, making him an ideal frontman for Nuno’s fast counter-attacking style of play. He offers far more mobility than Wood without losing the physical presence offered by the big New Zealander, and has plenty of time to improve and hone his trade.
The 22-year-old’s contract includes a £30 million relegation release clause, meaning he will be available for a relatively low fee in the summer. Unfortunately, the Tricky Trees face competition from more than half of the teams in the Premier League, with big-hitters such as Chelsea and Manchester United coveting the striker, but the promise of European football makes the City Ground an attractive destination.
Vangelis Pavlidis
According to Nottinghamshire Live, the Reds are one of several clubs monitoring Greek international Vangelis Pavlidis, with the Benfica striker enjoying another highly impressive campaign. The 26-year-old has 25 goals this season, including a hat-trick against Barcelona in the Champions League, and combines lethal finishing with progressive carrying and impressive link-up play.
However, the forward’s contract includes an £85 million release clause, which would likely make signing Pavlidis this summer very difficult, unless Benfica are willing to lower their asking price.
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Matheus Cunha
Another striker likely to be on the move this summer, Matheus Cunha seems to have only got better and better since moving to Wolves in 2023, with the versatile forward scoring a career-best 14 Premier League goals this season. The 25-year-old is fantastic technically, capable of scoring incredible goals and taking on opposing defenders with ease, but also has the required robustness and power to be a top Premier League centre-forward.
The forward reportedly has a £62.5 million release clause, which would be a huge investment for Forest, but the promise of European football could allow them to lure Cunha to Nottingham. Manchester United and Arsenal have both been linked with a move for the 25-year-old, so it could be one of the biggest stories of the summer window.
Mika Biereth
For a more low-key alternative, Forest could turn to 22-year-old Mika Biereth, who has been in mind-boggling form since joining Monaco in the January transfer window. The Danish international, who left boyhood club Arsenal in 2024, has scored 12 goals in 12 games for Adi Hutter’s side, including three hat-tricks.
The 22-year-old’s aggression and impressive off-the-ball running have earned him comparisons to Jamie Vardy, and at 6’2” tall, he is a perfect match for what Nuno demands from his strikers. Although Biereth only joined the Ligue 1 outfit in January for £10.9 million, a considerable increase on that fee could convince Monaco to sell their talented centre-forward.
