Nottingham Forest are interested in signing Cyle Larin once his Besiktas contract lapses on June 30, and here are four other soon-to-be free agents Steve Cooper could look to hire.
The City Ground outfit are attentive to Larin’s situation as Cooper strives to strengthen his ranks after securing their promotion. He led the East Midlands natives back to the Premier League for the first time since the 1998/99 campaign through the Championship play-offs.
- Crystal Palace’s 22/23 XI with £20M West Ham target leading 4 new signings
- Jude Bellingham and Celtic ace lead Birmingham XI if they ket their top stars
Copper will now look to follow in Brentford’s footsteps by backing up winning at Wembley by avoiding relegation. The Bees won the 2020/21 final, before Thomas Frank led the west Londoners to a 13th-placed finish during their first season in the top-flight since 1946/47.
Nottingham Forest are interested in signing Larin once Besiktas star is a free agent
Nottingham Forest have a raft of targets on their shortlist of options who could strengthen Cooper’s squad, including some stars who will become free agents from July 1 like Besiktas winger Larin, as Turkiye Gazetesi cite Forest’s interest in signing the Canadian this summer.
Besiktas have opted to release Larin ahead of his contract ending on June 30 following four years with the Turkish giants. He moved to Istanbul from MLS side Orlando City in 2018 for in excess of $2.3m (£1.9m), and has offered 39 goals in 109 games for the Super Lig outfit.
Larin only occupied a backup position at Besiktas last season, but can provide Cooper with a versatile forward threat. The 27-year-old is comfortable playing in off the left-wing or as a centre-forward, and boasts 24 goals from 52 appearances for the Canadian national side.
The forward’s record in front of goal regressed last season in line with his contract dispute. Larin only managed eight goals and one assist in 38 games across all competitions. But his track record catches Evangelos Marinakis’ eye for either Nottingham Forest or Olympiacos.
A move to the City Ground would mark the Ontario native’s first spell in England following jaunts in America, Canada, Turkey and Belgium. But Larin is not the only free agent Cooper could consider signing to help keep Nottingham Forest in the Premier League next term…
Nottingham Forest could rival Everton to sign Mbemba as a free agent
Nottingham Forest could look to rival Everton for the signing of Chancel Mbemba as a free agent this summer. Porto have elected to release the 27-year-old after four years with the Portuguese giants, who paid Newcastle United €8m (£7m) to sign the centre-back in 2018.
Mbemba has amassed 137 appearances for the Dragoes, including in 24 European fixtures from the Champions League and Europa League. He also boasts 42 Premier League games on his CV through the 66-cap DR Congo international’s two top-flight seasons on Tyneside.
Now, A Bola report Everton are interested in Mbemba’s situation as Frank Lampard strives to strengthen his defence this summer. But A Bola also report the DR Congo captain is still studying accepting Porto’s offer of lesser terms as he holds out for €3m-a-year (£50k-a/w).
Nottingham Forest could rival West Ham to sign Januzaj as a free agent
Adnan Januzaj will leave Real Sociedad as a free agent this summer, so can earn Cooper’s interest as he targets new signings at Nottingham Forest. But the Daily Star cite West Ham as a possible destination for the former Manchester United talent with David Moyes keen.
Moyes hopes to reunite with Januzaj from his spell in charge at Old Trafford. Although the Belgian also has interest in Serie A as Il Mattino list Napoli as an option for the 27-year-old. Clubs are keen to sign the 15-cap right-winger after he struck five and created three goals.
Januzaj registered one of his efforts plus two assists during the Europa League, as well. The Brussel-born ace also hit the back of the net to help beat Atletico Madrid during the last 16 of the Copa del Rey. His haul took him to 23 goals and 21 assists in 168 games for the club.
The chance to play in the Europa Conference League at West Ham or Champions League at Napoli could prove a strong obstacle for Nottingham Forest to overcome. But Cooper may be able to give Januzaj more regular minutes than the Irons or Azzurri in a World Cup year.
Cooper can offer Aurier a Premier League return after Villarreal axe
Cooper can offer Serge Aurier another chance to play in the Premier League after Villarreal axed the right-back. The Ivorian only moved to Spain last year after Tottenham terminated his contract a year early as he had no intentions of staying in north London for any longer.
Aurier would go on to sign for Villarreal as a free agent, but only held a sporadic presence under Unai Emery. The 81-cap Cote d’Ivoire captain made 24 appearances for the Estadio de la Ceramica natives, yet only started 11 games for a combined return of 1,131 minutes.
But despite his slender chances, Aurier still offered two assists – including one at Juventus in their Champions League last 16 second-leg to progress 4-1 on aggregate. He could now offer Cooper some Premier League experience after offering 12 assists in 77 appearances.
The riches provided from winning the play-offs could also help Nottingham Forest beat out interest from Montpellier. Foot Mercato report the Ligue 1 outfit will struggle to afford the defender’s salary demands, having made more than €1.5m-a-year (£25k-a/w) net in Spain.
Stade Rennes hesitance could offer Nottingham Forest chance to sign Denayer
Nottingham Forest could have a chance to sign Jason Denayer once the centre-back leaves Lyon as a free agent. That’s because Foot Mercato report Stade Rennes are hesitant to sign the Belgian whilst they target more affordable defenders like Fenerbahce ace Kim Min-Jae.
Denayer will depart Les Gones once his terms expire on June 30 and is assessing options in England, Spain and Turkey. Besiktas and Galatasaray are hot on the 27-year-old, who could add substantial domestic and international experience, despite a slender season last term.
The 35-cap enforcer only featured 19 times for Lyon during the last campaign to reach 138 games for the club. He also boasts 24 Premier League outings after spending the 2016/17 season on loan at Sunderland and has also featured in UEFA tournaments on 35 occasions.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
