Nottingham Forest have a big few months ahead of them, with Sean Dyche desperately needing to avoid relegation from the Premier League at the end of May.
The Reds have lost six times in England’s top flight since taking over from manager Ange Postecoglou in late October, but are currently on the right side of the dotted line.
His side are currently six points clear of West Ham United with 14 games remaining ahead of Friday night’s crucial clash with Leeds United at Elland Road.
The transfer window is closed until the summer, meaning Dyche will not be able to add to his strength at the City Ground, but his recruitment team have secured the signatures of three talented players.
Luca Netz, Lorenzo Lucca and Stefan Ortega all arrived in the East Midlands, but appear to be examples of players who escaped from the Reds on deadline day.
Nottingham Forest fail to transfer Celtic’s Arne Engels on deadline day
As the final day of the transfer window approaches, Forest are looking for a new midfielder to add further depth and quality to Dyche’s squad.
There were countless names mentioned throughout the window, but Inter Milan star Davide Frattesi was just one of the players almost certain to move to the City Ground.
However, despite agreeing a contract with the Italian club, there were rumors about a possible signing for Celtic star Arne Engels, as the player himself was not confident about the move.
The Belgian, who has featured in 37 games this season, was the subject of a £14m bid in the final 24 hours, but such a move was quickly rejected by the Scottish side.
Such offers are just the beginning of the story, with Celtic manager Martin O’Neill insisting he will only leave Celtic Park if an offer of £100m is made.
Despite his bosses’ claims, Forest tested further their resolve to get the 22-year-old’s signature, making two further bids before the window slammed shut.
The final offer totaled £25m, including add-ons, but like the first two bids, the bid was rejected, forcing Engels to remain in Scotland until the summer at the earliest.
However, the player himself is said to be unhappy that a move to Nottingham did not materialise, which could open the door for a summer transfer again.
Engels in the forest
Forest’s organization has done a great job in strengthening their midfield department in recent years, and has since appointed various managers with a number of top-level talents.
Elliott Anderson and Ibrahim Sangare are currently the preferred duo at the base of midfield, and given their current form, the current pairing is unlikely to be dropped.
The former of the duo has become one of the hottest assets in the country this season, with rumors of a £100m summer slot.
The Ivorian has had a difficult start to life in Nottingham, but as a result he has many fans behind him after the board shelled out £35m on his contract in 2023.
Dyche’s team could only win one of the five matches played during his absence from AFCON, but this may highlight his current importance in the senior ranks.
There are a number of other top-level talents expected in these areas, including Nicolas Dominguez, who has improved since his move to the East Midlands.
The Argentine joined the club from Bologna in the same summer as Sangaré in an £8m deal, but the 27-year-old’s signing has undoubtedly exceeded all expectations after manager Steve Cooper brought him to the club.
Since his subsequent move, he has now made 89 appearances in all competitions, and although he has featured in a somewhat unnatural role, he has settled into the role admirably.
Dominguez has flourished on the left side of the attack in recent weeks, and there is no doubt that his work rate and effort off the ball was a big factor in his selection.
He has run more distance than any other Forest player in the Premier League this season, relentlessly imposing huge assets on his manager without the ball at his feet.
The Argentine also held the ball in the final third more than any other senior member of the team, reaffirming his incredible ability in possession, with one journalist rating him as “outstanding”.
Nicolas Dominguez – PL statistics (2025/26) | |
|---|---|
Statistics (per 90 people) | tally |
games played | 15 |
goals and assists | 1 |
Pass accuracy | 83% |
cross accuracy | 46% |
won a duel | 6.1 |
Duel success rate | 53% |
The tackle I made | 3.7 |
Gaining possession in the final third | 0.9 |
Statistics by FotMob | |
Despite his diminutive size, the midfielder continued to contribute to the Reds’ attack in 2025/26, scoring the equalizer in the win over West Ham and making an outstanding performance thereafter.
His flick from the near post was perfectly in the corner of the goal, giving the Reds the platform for victory in a crucial bottom-of-the-table showdown.
As a result of his recent impressive performances. Dominguez’s market value has soared in recent months, with Football Transfers currently valuing him at £20.2m.
Such a figure is an increase of £12 million on the fee paid for his signature a few years ago, and it highlights the excellent recruitment the club has made in the market.
This means the Belgian is worth just £9.5m, a higher figure than deadline day target Engels, despite huge bids for his services in recent days.
It was clear that Dyche and the board wanted to add some more central reinforcement to the team, but Engels’ departure certainly had the feel of a last-minute panic buy.
It remains to be seen whether the Reds’ failure to sign a new midfielder could mean their season is over, with relegation still a possibility.
However, if Dominguez can stay healthy from now until the end of the season, there is no reason the Reds can’t achieve a fifth straight top flight in 2026/27.
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