With Nottingham Forest’s new campaign getting underway later on today, Nuno Espírito Santo will be looking to build on the impressive end to last season that saw the Reds win two of their last three outings.
The former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss has already bolstered his side with various additions across the board, with winger Ramon Sosa the latest to arrive on Trentside after the club completed a deal for his services on Friday night.
The deal with Argentinian side Tallares will see the Reds pay an initial £10m plus a 15% sell-on fee for his services, with Sosa penning a five-year deal at the City Ground.
Sosa will provide added firepower in wide areas, whilst also challenging the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga for a starting role on Trentside.
He could potentially form a deadly partnership with one player who has also been on the club’s radar over the last couple of weeks.
Nottingham Forest could land £35m talent this summer
In an attempt to avoid a battle with relegation this season, owner Evangelos Marinakis has once again splashed the cash to allow his club to compete in the Premier League.
The Reds have already spent around £57m on additions, with Porto forward Galeno potentially the next in line for a move to the club.
Journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed earlier this month that Forest had an approach rejected for the Brazilian, with the Portuguese side demanding €40m (£35m) to part ways with the 26-year-old.
He’s already hit the ground running in 2024/25, scoring in the first league outing of the season against Gil Vincente alongside a double in the Portuguese Super Cup final against Sporting CP.
However, it’s his stats from the previous campaign that caught the eye, ranking similarly to one star who’s taken the Premier League by storm in recent times.
Why Galeno could be Forest’s own Foden
Manchester City forward Phil Foden has been a crucial part of Pep Guardiola’s side in recent years, being a pivotal part of the squad that made it four Premier League titles in five years after their triumph last season.
The 24-year-old registered 27 goal contributions in his 35 league appearances – finishing behind Erling Haaland as the club’s top scorer.
He’s also excelled in Europe for City, helping them win their maiden Champions League trophy, with his displays in the competition in 2023/24 seeing him noted as a similar player to Galeno, as per FBref.
The “imperious” Brazilian, as dubbed by journalist Zach Lowy, matched the Englishman for combined goals and assists, whilst averaging more progressive carries – showcasing his ability to take the ball into attacking areas before finding a teammate or the back of the net.
Games played
7
8
Goals + assists
9
9
Goal per shot taken
0.31
0.15
Progressive carries
3.5
3
Shot-on-target accuracy
69%
36%
Take-ons attempted
3.9
2.1
He also attempted more take-ons and averaged a higher goal-per-shot rate than Foden, handing Forest that added attacking edge that Nuno and Marinakis have been searching for this summer.
The Reds were too wasteful in the final third last season, missing 51 big chances – with the club desperately trying to rectify such a record ahead of the new campaign.
Whilst he would be an expensive addition, the playmaker would provide the added goal threat the club have been looking for, while also handing the likes of Sosa – who scored seven goals in 203/24 – more frequent chances to increase their own goalscoring records.
This campaign is the club’s third successive season in the Premier League after a 23-year absence, with Galeno potentially linking up with Sosa and providing more quality in attacking areas that would hugely increase Forest's chance of securing survival once more in 2024/25.
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