Nottingham Forest have been very busy in the dying stages of the chaotic summer transfer window.
Both Nicolo Savona and John Victor have joined from Juventus and Botafogo recently to take the Tricky Trees’ total signings up to a weighty ten, with that number set to rise even higher when Dilane Bakwa finally puts pen to paper on a deadline day £35m move from RC Strasbourg.
Bakwa might not be the only exciting addition entering the City Ground, however, as Forest race against the clock to try and secure the services of this Nuno Espirito Santo favourite.
Nottingham Forest enter talks for Premier League attacker
Despite signing both Dan Ndoye and Omari Hutchinson already this summer, on top of Bakwa’s expected arrival, another top-quality winger could soon call Nottinghamshire home.
Indeed, as per reports from Spain, Forest are in “last-minute” talks now to try and tempt Fulham attacker Adama Traore away from Craven Cottage to the City Ground, with a deal for Javi Galán to join from Atletico Madrid also being worked on.
If the Europa League outfit were to successfully clinch a deal for the rapid Fulham winger in the nick of time, it would undoubtedly boost an already captivating Forest attack, with the damage caused by both Traore and Bakwa together a real sight to behold.
How Traore and Bakwa could cause havoc
Both players are unlikely to make the same XI – considering both like to regularly play on the right channel – but both will still play key roles in giving Forest some variety and energy up top.
Indeed, Bakwa has been a well-known assist machine for Strasbourg for some time now, as seen in him creating 27 big chances across his past two Ligue 1 seasons for Liam Rosenior’s men.
Traore is also known for being a direct, assist-heavy option on the right flank, with an eye-catching seven assists coming his way last season donning Fulham white, often after a blistering run had been finished off by a teammate latching onto his charitable offerings.
One of the quickest players in the division, this would certainly be a solid way of replacing one of Anthony Elanga’s main qualities.
As a result, Chris Wood could well have a field day, knowing he has both Traore and Bakwa supplying him with chances, with the 29-year-old’s trademark quick gallops up the field even seeing him be described as “unstoppable” by Pep Guardiola when performing at full pelt.
Games played
131
Minutes played
7987
Goals scored
10
Assists
18
The electric attacker will also surely welcome a last-gasp switch to Forest so he can reunite with his former Wolves manager in Nuno, having tallied up a mammoth 131 career games under his guidance at Molineux, with a standout ten goals and 18 assists coming his way from those appearances.
Bakwa will also favour a switch to Forest, knowing what Nuno managed to get out of another assist-heavy winger in Anthony Elanga, with the 23-year-old also no doubt aware that he can also grow into even more of an intimidating attacker, with a Premier League regular who knows the ins and outs of the tough division like Traore to learn off of.
The worry might well be that the Tricky Trees are stockpiling an absurd arsenal of forward players, with both Bakwa and Traore adding in even more options to a loaded right-hand side.
But, with the Europa League coming into view shortly, Nuno will know he needs a plentiful squad at his disposal.
Moreover, if he can get both of these new signings to click, and potentially have them in the same lineup if he drafts Traore over to the left or through the middle, Forest should be able to blow even more teams away with their enviable firepower.
