Nottingham Forest’s approach in the summer transfer window this time around was a much more relaxed approach in comparison to the erratic dealings in the years prior.
Whilst they still made 11 new additions, there was a real impetus to focus on quality over quantity to help pull the club further away from the Premier League’s relegation zone.
Nuno EspÃrito Santo’s side finished the transfer window with a net spend of £18m – fantastic work considering the quality of additions such as Nikola Milenkovic and James Ward-Prowse.
The club also made some impressive sales, with Orel Mangala and Moussa Niakhate making the Reds in the region of £47m – a huge figure in their hopes of staying within the PSR confines for another financial year.
However, they also demonstrated their ambitions by rejecting a huge offer for one of their talisman during the latter stages of the window.
Anthony Elanga’s time at Nottingham Forest
After joining Forest in a £15m deal from Manchester United last summer, winger Anthony Elanga arrived with big expectations of being a hit at the City Ground.
It’s safe to say he lived up to those expectations, registering 14 goal contributions in the Premier League last season, the second most of any player in the Reds squad.
As a result of his sensational displays in the East Midlands last season, he attracted major interest during the summer transfer window – most notably from Newcastle United.
It was reported that the Reds rejected a £50m bid from Eddie Howe’s side on deadline day, a signal of the ambition shown by Evangelos Marinakis to keep hold of his best players.
However, it’s safe to say a deal for another player has failed to be as successful, with the signing unable to break into the Forest first-team during his time at the club.
How much Hwang Ui-Jo earns in 2024
South Korean forward Hwang Ui-Jo joined the Reds in a £4.2m deal from French side Bordeaux back in the summer of 2022 before moving to sister club Olympiacos on a season-long loan.
He’s since been on three separate loan spells to Norwich City, FC Seoul and Alanyaspor, only scoring eight goals over those various stints – resulting in no competitive appearances for the Reds’ first team and looking like a complete waste of money.
Unsurprisingly, he’s not featured in a single match day squad this season having failed to secure a move away from the East Midlands, with Hwang now just merely collecting a wage from the club.
Nottingham Forest players who earn less than Hwang | |
|---|---|
Player | Weekly wage |
Ola Aina | £40k-p/w |
Nicolas Dominguez | £35k-p/w |
Danilo | £30k-p/w |
Murillo | £30k-p/w |
Anthony Elanga | £25k-p/w |
Ryan Yates | £25k-p/w |
Stats via Capology | |
The 32-year-old earns a staggering £45k-per-week as per Capology, a figure that is nearly two times more than star man Elanga who only earns £25k-per-week despite his stellar form over the last 12 months.
With the club’s recent battle with PSR, they will want to avoid a repeat of last season which saw Nuno’s side hit with a four-point deduction.
Spending huge wages on mediocre talents would undoubtedly contribute to the financial situation at the club, with the hierarchy needing to cut ties with many players to avoid spending such hefty wages on fringe players.
Hwang is just one example of the players who the club need to desperately get rid of, with the South Korean unable to justify his transfer fee and wages at the City Ground.
