As football has been brought to a halt for what seems likely to be a while; Last Word on Football has taken a look at the Nottingham Forest players who could leave on a free transfer this summer.
5 Players Nottingham Forest Could Lose as Free Transfers This Summer
Contracts Expiring
Nottingham Forest transfers have certainly been a talking point over the last few years.
Some, like Samba Sow and Ben Watson, have been a success; others, meanwhile, have struggled to make a good impression in front of the vocal Geribaldi support.
This season has been a peculiar one for Forest fans as they had not expected to be one of the forerunners at the top of the Championship.
However, under Sabri Lamouchi’s guidance, Forest have, bar a few matches, held a position within the automatic promotion and play-off positions.
The Reds have flirted among automatic promotion contenders Leeds United and West Brom, but a poor spell prior to Boxing Day saw them pick up just one win in seven.
Lamouchi’s side currently find themselves in fifth place but, with Covid-19 bringing a suspension to football, we have taken a look at the players whose contracts are set to expire this summer.
Sammy Ameobi
The 27-year-old left-winger joined at the start of the season and has been a regular fixture within the Forest squad.
He has been involved in all but one of the Red’s fixtures in the Championship this term; however, he has only partaken in 22% of Forest’s league goals.
His versatility in the attack has proven useful in allowing Lamouchi to dispatch him as a forward or right-winger when options have been short, but he has been most useful as a right-sided attacker.
Yohan Benalouane
The 33-year-old joined under Martin O’Neill, as the Northern Irishman’s first signing as Forest boss, in January 2019.
Signing back then on an 18-month contract, the Tunisian joined from Leicester City.
He made 14 appearances towards the back-end of the previous campaign; however, he has barely been considered an option since Lamouchi’s arrival in June – making just one appearance this season.
Michael Dawson
Dawson re-joined the Reds in May 2018 and started as a regular fixture alongside Joe Worrall in defence.
The former Hull City midfielder has made just 15 appearances for Forest this season, mostly down to a series of injury problems.
More recently, however, he has been more prominent on the bench. He has not featured since a 1-1 draw with Reading in January.
Ben Watson
Alongside Samba Sow in midfield, 34-year-old Watson has been a well-oiled cog in Sabri Lamouchi’s machine.
The Forest midfielder has previously jested that he was expecting the call to say he was departing at the start of the season; he has, however, remained a key part within the squad.
Watson has featured in each of the Reds’ Championship fixtures this year. He also ended a three-year-long goal drought by scoring against Barnsley last September.
Virgil Gomis
The 20-year-old has not been anywhere near the first-team set-up for a number of years.
Three years within the Forest youth set-up preceded loan moves to Braintree Town, Notts County and, earlier this season, Macclesfield Town.
It’s fair to say he has barely given Lamouchi any food for thought though; scoring just one senior goal across the three loan spells before being recalled in January.
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