LATEST: Nottingham Forest Star Happy Over Living Dream Amid New Transfer Interest

It is now all systems go for Nottingham Forest as they look ahead to the 2024/25 Premier League season.

The Reds beat Chesterfield 3-0 in their first friendly of the summer last Saturday. And they will step up their preparations for the new top-flight this week with a training camp in Spain.

Meanwhile, overseeing transfer business remains a key priority off the pitch as head coach Nuno Espirito Santo looks to shape his squad for the new campaign. Some players have already come and gone amid a busy period of early transfer activity, with more to follow. Here is our round-up of the latest goings-on Trentside.

Memorable moment

Forest could have been playing in an empty stadium anywhere in the world, but Saturday would still have meant so much to teenager Aaron Bott,. The 19-year-old Nigel Doughty Academy graduate was handed his senior debut for the Reds when he replaced summer signing Carlos Miguel in the 85th minute against the Spireites.

That moment is what the youngster, who has been with the club since the age of seven, has been working towards. Although lamenting he doesn’t quite have the height of the 6ft 8in man he replaced, Bott hopes his outing for the first team is just the start for him.

“It was amazing to get on. A pre-season friendly is a good opportunity for young players and I’m really grateful to get the chance,” he told Forest’s YouTube channel afterwards.

“Having been at the club for so long, it’s something I’ve always wanted to achieve. It’s nice to have it done now and I’m looking forward to trying to get more opportunities in the future.

“You always want to keep progressing and get to the next level. For under-21s, that’s the first team. To be able to play for them, especially having been here for so long, it’s what you want to do.

“It’s always in the back of your mind. When you play, you are trying to impress the staff. Every opportunity you get, it’s all about getting moments on the pitch and then hopefully doing well.

“I’ve progressed through every age group. Even just to get the 10 minutes, it’s something I’ve always looked to do and to have achieved it is a really good feeling.

“It’s Chesterfield in a pre-season game, but for me it’s just playing for the first team and playing for Nottingham Forest. We could have played with no fans, it would still have meant the same just to represent the club at this level.”

Murillo latest

On Saturday, Nuno expressed his delight that the June 30 accounting deadline had passed without the Reds losing any of their prized assets. But while they may no longer be under pressure to sell, that doesn’t mean interest in some of their star men has gone away.

Murillo has been the subject of plenty of transfer speculation on the back of his impressive first season in English football. Prior to linking back up with his teammates, the defender admitted his future at the City Ground is uncertain.

Now it seems a new name has been added to his long list of admirers. According to Give Me Sport, Wolverhampton Wanderers have their eye on the Brazilian.

However, there is an admission that it would be “ambitious” for the Molineux outfit to make a move for the centre-back. It is also said a switch to the West Midlands is “unlikely” to materialise.

It perhaps follows on from Murillo’s admission that Wolves and Crystal Palace were in for him 12 months ago. “But the one that really came was Nottingham Forest. For me, I’m living a dream,” he said in a recent interview.