Forest are looking in all the wrong places when it comes to the January window – Opinion

Not being able to see the wood for the (tricky) trees.

That appears to be how Forest are approaching the transfer window if reports are to be believed.

Writing during a recent column for The Athletic, Paul Taylor reports that there are two main targets for Nottingham Forest this upcoming window, “a striker and a versatile performer who can play as an attacking midfielder or winger.”

Now whilst I agree that Forest need to bring in an extra striker to help take the load off Lewis Grabban’s shoulders I think that they would be wasting their time if they were to start spending their time and resources trying to focus on bringing in an extra winger, because quite frankly, the club have already got enough wingers and they seem to be doing just fine.

With Joe Lolley, Sammy Ameobi, Albert Adomah and Joao Carvalho all having played on the wing at some stage this season, plus the club having the option of bringing Matty Cash forward should they decide to reject the reported £12m offer from Everton (The Sun, 15/11/19, page 74) now that Carl Jenkinson is back in training, and you’re already looking at five people who can play the role in some form of another.

That’s before you start to go into the academy that Sabri Lamouchi isn’t afraid to utilise, as demonstrated by Brennan Johnson’s emergence this year, so to say Forest have got a surplus of wingers right now wouldn’t necessarily be an understatement. The same goes for attacking midfielders, were you have the aforementioned Carvalho and Johnson who can fulfill those roles, as well as Tiago Silva and any other academy products.

There are really two areas that the club need to be invested in, and those are the areas that will really be make or break for the club as they go forward. Help for Grabban up top and cover for right-back in case Jenkinson goes through another injury, which given his history is highly likely.

Nottingham Forest may never get a better chance at promotion, based off their start to the season, and if they are within touching distance in January, then the right move can make sure they stay there for the rest of the season.

But they need to get these moves spot on, and spending their time focusing on positions they’re already well-stocked in, could result in a huge opportunity missed.