Nottingham Forest were incredibly busy over the summer transfer window, offloading 20 from the squad in total (including loans), but there are still a number of out-of-favour players who need to be moved on.
The next available transfer window opens on January 1, 2020, so Sabri Lamouchi will have to wait four more months before shipping out the rest of Forest’s deadwood. So, who are the ones facing the axe?
Costel Pantilimon
Despite being linked with a move to Olympiacos over the summer, Pantilimon stayed at Forest on deadline day. He’s behind Brice Samba and Arijanet Muric under Lamouchi and is likely to spend the next few months on the periphery.
The 32-year-old is in the last year of his contract at the City Ground and won’t want to spend it as an outcast. The January window is his last chance to get a move before the summer.
Michael Hefele
The 29-year-old hasn’t played for Forest since January due to injury and has stiff competition for a starting place upon his return – Michael Dawson, Joe Worrall, Tobias Figueiredo, Jack Robinson, Yohan Benaloaune.
Hefele is surplus to requirements and could be moved on in the coming months. Whether he can find a suitor remains to be seen, however.
Claudio Yacob
The 32-year-old was abruptly dropped by Martin O’Neill during the second-half of last season and hasn’t featured under Sabri Lamouchi. Yacob was linked with a move to Olympiacos this summer but no deal materalised.
With Samba Sow, Alfa Semedo, Ben Watson and John Bostock ahead of him in the pecking order, Yacob is likely to spend the next few months on the periphery. He’ll surely want a move in January to a side willing to give him more opportunities.
Zach Clough
Bolton Wanderers fans were keen on re-signing the 24-year-old on deadline day, but there didn’t appear to be any genuine interest from the Trotters.
Clough is out of favour at Forest, hasn’t made a senior appearance since January 2018 and has too much competition in attack – Lewis Grabban, Rafa Mir, Sammy Ameobi.
He’s been made available for sale by Lamouchi, so January will present him another chance to ship Clough.
