Nottingham Forest are set to be in for a busy end to the transfer window.
However, Nuno Espirito Santo will be focused on bouncing back from the 3-2 loss to Brentford last weekend.
An attacker is a priority for the new manager, who has been forced to field midfielders in attacking roles due to injuries recently.
Nottingham Forest are looking to secure an attacker
According to a report from ESPN, Forest have agreed a deal with Borussia Dortmund for the loan of Giovanni Reyna with an option to buy.
However, there are numerous clubs in a similar position to the Tricky Trees, with the player in charge of his next destination. Indeed, it’s thought Sevilla have jumped ahead of the Premier League side in the race to sign the American in recent days.
A move would be completed this month, with the youngster unhappy with his lack of minutes.
How Reyna would fit into the Forest team
Morgan Gibbs-White signed for Forest in the summer of 2022, in a deal worth £42.5m, and since then, he has become arguably their most important and influential player.
In 60 appearances, the 23-year-old has picked up 20 goal contributions, which is a relatively solid record considering he’s played in bottom half team.
However, with the Tricky Trees recently breaching the Premier League Profitability and Sustainability rules, they are forced to ‘lose a maximum of £105m over a three-year period’, which means Gibbs-White may be forced out of the door in the near future, with Newcastle reportedly interested in the England U21 gem.
Luckily, the Portuguese boss could already have the perfect replacement for the number ten in the pipeline, Reyna. The statistics below from the last year across the top European leagues prove why.
Reyna: vs midfielders in top five leagues
Stats (per 90)
Reyna
Ranking
Goals
0.47
Top 1%
Assists
0.32
Top 1%
Key passes
2.52
Top 2%
Shot-creating actions
7.09
Top 1%
Progressive carries
2.68
Top 9%
Tackles won
1.58
Top 20%
Stats via FBref
The USMNT star has only played 13 matches and started just twice for BVB this season, but there’s no doubt that he is a quality player who just needs an opportunity to shine. Last season, he featured 20 times for Dortmund in the league, with injuries impacting his campaign, but the short, quality cameos paint the picture.
Gibbs-White is the most creative player in the Forest squad, as shown by the fact he has the highest xA this season, but his absence wouldn’t be noticeable if Nuno signed Reyna.
The 21-year-old’s ability to make things happen is immense, with his key passes, assists, and shot-creating actions among the very best, and it is easy to see why Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig hailed his “outstanding vision.”
The Bundesliga ace could even be an upgrade on Gibbs-White by providing plenty of goals while working tirelessly off the ball, using his 6 foot 1 frame to his team’s advantage. The midfielder’s goals per game and tackles statistics are far better than the former Wolves dynamo, who ranks in the bottom 16% and 49% for both stats in the topflight, as per FBref.
Reyna could just become the bargain signing of the window, and he could transform Forest completely.
