INS:
Chris O'Grady - Brighton & Hove Albion (Season-Long Loan):
Forest announced the signing of experienced Championship front-man Chris O'Grady around one hour before the 6pm deadline. Most Forest fans won't be too excited about this addition as they were for the likes of Britt Assombalonga and Michail Antonio last summer, but O'Grady could still prove to be a good addition to Forest's squad. It hasn't worked out for O'Grady during his time at Brighton scoring only 1 goal in 31 appearances for the Seagulls. However, he has already proven in the past that he can score goals at this level. He bagged 16 goals for a poor Barnsley side during the 2013/14 season, one of which came at the City Ground where he caused the Forest defence problems. I personally think this is a very good piece of business by Dougie Freedman. It is almost a 'risk free' deal due to the fact he will only be on around £10,000 a week and is only on a season-long loan. This means if it doesn't work out for O'Grady at Forest, the club aren't committed to any long-term deals worth a lot of money. O'Grady may also provide good support to Tyler Walker who often struggles to lead the line by himself for Forest at such a young age. We will have to wait and see just how good a piece of business this turns out to be.
Chris O'Grady's goals for Barnsley during the 2013/14 season including one against Forest at the City Ground.
Nelson
Oliveira - Benfica (Season-Long Loan):
Nelson
Oliveira was the second striker to join the Forest ranks on transfer deadline
day, aswell as Brighton forward Chris O’Grady. Oliveira will probably excite
Forest fans more due to his pedigree and experience at the age of just 24 years
old. He began his career at Benfica and has been loaned to plenty of clubs
during his career including Rio Ave, Pacos Ferreira, Deportivo La Coruna,
Rennes and most recently Swansea City. His best loan spell came at Rennes where
he scored 8 goals in 30 appearances. Even though his goal scoring record may
not appear too great, he has achieved 14 caps for Portugal scoring 1 goal. He
has been previously regarded as one of Portugal’s most promising talents. If
Dougie Freedman can get the best out of him at Forest then he could prove to be
a very good addition to the squad. He is also 6ft 1in showing that he can offer
an aerial threat to the team which Forest seem to currently lack from corners
and set pieces.
Ryan Mendes
- Lille (Season-Long Loan):
This
signing was actually confirmed by Lille on their official website on Monday
evening before Deadline Day even begun. However, Forest did not announce it for
some time due to the fact Mendes had to receive international clearance and
they did not want to embarrass themselves like they did for the Ben Hamer deal
earlier this summer. However, Mendes is a very talented player who has done
well throughout his career. As a winger his goal scoring record isn’t too bad
as he started his career at Le Havre scoring 20 goals in 84 appearances. He
then secured a move to Lille in which he has so far scored 7 goals in 47
appearances. He will now look to go some way to filling Michail Antonio’s boots
at the City Ground as he makes a move to England for the first time. Mendes
also like Oliveira has international experience and has represented Cape Verde
19 times scoring 4 goals. For a player at the age of just 25 years old, he does
seem to bring a lot of experience to the table. He could be another player who
could prove his worth to Forest if he gets off to a good start in the Sky Bet
Championship.
Jonathan
Williams - Crystal Palace (On Loan Until January):
This is the
deal which Forest fans will get really excited about as Jonathan Williams joins
the club on loan until January from Premier League side Crystal Palace. This is
arguably Forest's best piece of business this summer due to the quality he
brings to the table. He may be well-known for some Forest fans not least for
the fantastic performance he put in at the City Ground last summer as he
controlled the game and was a key influence for Ipswich Town. He could provide
the creativity needed in midfield and potentially help fill the void left by
Michail Antonio leaving the club. He was very highly rated at Ipswich last
campaign as he was seen as a key player in Mick McCarthy's play-off
semi-finalists team. He will add to a host of central midfield options Forest
have at their disposal with the likes of Henri Lansbury, Kyle Ebecilio, David
Vaughan, Michael Mancienne, Ben Osborn and Jorge Grant all available for
selection. This is before Chris Cohen, Andy Reid and Robert Tesche return from
their injuries. However, there is no doubt Williams will be a key member of
Freedman's squad this season.
OUTS:
Michail Antonio - West Ham United (Undisclosed Fee):
The first piece of transfer business to come from Forest on transfer deadline was the confirmed departure of winger Michail Antonio to West Ham United. The news will not have come as a shock to Forest fans as speculation had been circulating surrounding the player for a significant amount of time. Antonio will no doubt be a miss for the Reds having provided the same with pace, power and plenty of goals. He scored 15 goals for the side last season aswell as providing plenty of assists. However, despite scoring four goals for Forest in all competitions this season, it was clear to see that the player was unsettled and keen on a move elsewhere. That is what makes the reported fee of around £6 or 7 million very good business for the club. The sale also confirms the club will be out of the transfer embargo next summer which is fantastic news. It will be interesting to see how Antonio fairs in the Premier League and will also be interesting to see whether Forest included any sort of sell-on clause within the deal. Antonio will wear the number 30 shirt for the Hammers and thanked Forest fans for their support during his time at the club live on Sky Sports News.
Jamie Paterson - Huddersfield Town (Season-Long Loan):
Jamie Paterson followed Michail Antonio out of the door on transfer deadline day as he joined Huddersfield Town on a season-long loan. It is fair to say that Paterson has been unfortunate in recent times at Forest after impressing so much in his first season at the City Ground. In the 2013/14, he netted 12 times in 39 appearances in all competitions. However, he struggled to cement his place in this first team in recent years after being out of favour with the likes of Stuart Pearce and Dougie Freedman. There have also been questions on his attitude and commitment in training which may have limited his opportunities at the club. At the start of this season, Michail Antonio (before leaving to join West Ham), Jamie Ward, Oliver Burke and Chris Burke all found themselves infront of Paterson in regards to selection in the wide positions. The deal is said to include an option to buy according to the local press but from a Forest point of view it would be good to see him rekindle his form and then return to the club as a better player. It would not be a surprise to see Paterson be a success at Huddersfield as he is undoubted ability and it still just 23 years old.
