Nottingham Forest already have Mateta, who is a ‘winger’s dream’

Nottingham Forest are unbeaten in four Premier League games and sit six points above the relegation candidates, but Sean Dyche’s side face a battle for survival in the final months of the season.

With the January transfer window now closed, Forest have added three first-team players, but are left disappointed by the number of failed bids in the final stages, and the deal will be the difference between life and death throughout the winter market.

What could have been damaging was the failure to sign Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who was unable to move from Selhurst Park midway through the season.

Why Nottingham Forest wanted to sign Mateta

Nottingham Forest were left bitter at the end of the January market despite doing some good, shrewd business.

Lorenzo Lucca is a highlight, a towering centre-forward who arrived on loan from Udinese with an option to buy for around £35m. Lucca spent the first half of the season on loan at Napoli, but only scored once in Serie A.

But the package for Mateta included more certainty. After all, he has scored 38 goals in the Premier League over the past two-and-a-half seasons and has been hailed as “one of the best forwards in the league over the last few seasons” by none other than Wayne Rooney.

It is understood that Tricky Trees have written the France international a check for £35 million, although the somewhat hostile relationship between the clubs may have been an obstacle to negotiations. The Italian international always wanted to move to Italy and sign with AC Milan.

If Rucka’s months-long trial in the Premier League goes as planned, Marinakis and others will not have to revisit their interest in the 28-year-old.

Especially considering Forest already have their own version of the Eagles’ hulking star.

Nottingham Forest already have their own version of Mateta

Lucca is 6-foot-7 and clearly has a strong aerial presence. But he is also skilled and progressive. Although he doesn’t always split up defenses with his carries into the box, he is calculated when he does, completing 67% of his dribbles during his loan to Napoli.

In this, he has shown himself to be an exciting replacement for Mateta, despite lacking experience at England’s highest level.

However, Diche already has a goalscorer like Mateta in his team. Chris Wood has been sidelined with injury since the gruff-spoken manager was replaced by Ange Postecoglou, but his return could allay concerns about the City Ground’s current absence of a proven goalscorer in the Prem.

Wood is currently sidelined with a knee injury and is expected to return well before the end of the season, but the 34-year-old’s recovery status is not yet clear.

Although Wood is older, he has never been a striker who relies on pace to score goals. A powerful and intelligent target man with top-notch positioning and finishing.

Let’s not forget that it was only last year that Wood plundered the riches of England’s top flight, the talisman of a team that surprised everyone and qualified for Europe. He scored 20 goals, won duels and skillfully supported the play of his teammates.

Can Mateta really be a stronger presence in the final third? Wood returns to the game knowing he has new competition at number nine, but his proven qualities will allow him to fill the role given to Mateta.

It was a stroke of good fortune that Dyche took the wheel at Forest with Wood already in the ranks, even if he has yet to return to fitness under his former manager.

However, the Kiwis will return to a more fluid and consistent outfit than they were at the start of the season, and while age is not on their side, a return to scoring ability would confirm that Palace do not need to sign a striker in Mateta. Mateta himself is no spring chicken.