No Nottingham Forest fan could’ve envisaged the start to the new Premier League season they have enjoyed under boss Nuno Espírito Santo.
After the opening ten matches of the new campaign, the Reds sit in third position, ahead of Arsenal and just six points off current leaders Liverpool – who have only tasted defeat to Forest in all competitions.
Chris Wood has started 2024/25 just as he ended the previous year, scoring eight times so far, with only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland registering more goals since the opening weekend.
The New Zealand international has popped up with some vital goals including a double over fellow East Midlands outfit Leicester City at the King Power Stadium, ruining the Foxes’ big day out.
However, the Tricky Trees have just been thoroughly solid throughout, only conceding seven times in the league, posting the second-best tally behind Arne Slot’s side – a huge improvement from Nuno’s first few months at the helm.
Summer addition Nikola Milenkovic has provided that leadership at the back, which the defence was often lacking, with his 6 foot 5 frame providing that spearhead the fanbase has been desperate for since promotion.
Despite the improvements to the playing squad, the hierarchy has also invested in off-the-field staff to try and take the club to the next level.
Edu’s move to join Evangelos Marinakis’ empire
Earlier this week, Arsenal’s Sporting Director Edu Gaspar announced his resignation, allowing him to join up with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis as a CEO overseeing all the clubs that the Greek owns.
The shipping magnate currently owns Forest, Olympiacos, and Rio Ave, whilst he’s exploring a deal to take over Brazilian side Vasco de Gama, with Edu potentially having a huge role to play in such a deal.
However, it’s unclear how much of an impact he will have on transfers at the City Ground, as the club looks to progress into a competitive top-half side after the recent start to the new campaign.
The 46-year-old was responsible for the additions of countless players during his time at the Emirates, including the likes of David Raya, Gabriel and Gabriel Martinelli.
It’s noticeable that the final two of the aforementioned trio are Brazilian, with Edu’s success in the South American market potentially fitting into the Reds’ recent success stories of signing talent from that part of the world.
One star from Brazil has taken the Premier League by storm since his move to the East Midlands, with his transfer fee now looking to be an absolute bargain.
Murillo’s stats at Nottingham Forest
Centre-back Murillo arrived at Forest as an unknown quantity for many, joining the club for around £15m from Brazilian side Corinthians during the summer of 2023.
The 22-year-old would have to bide his time for his debut, but would quickly capture the hearts of the supporters when given the chance from the start, taking his opportunity with both hands and becoming a regular starter under both Steve Cooper and Nuno.
He would end the season with 32 league appearances under his belt, failing to get onto the scoresheet, but did manage to come close with stunning efforts against Crystal Palace, Luton Town and Tottenham Hotspur.
It became evident that he was no ordinary defender, always looking cool in possession and able to pick out a cross-field pass, but also more than capable of making a goal-saving tackle as and when needed.
Numerous moments spring to mind, including his last ditch tackle on Joao Pedro in the defeat against Brighton, or his goal line header stopping compatriot Joao Gomes from putting Wolves ahead at the City Ground last season.
As a result of his stellar first campaign in Nottingham, Murillo was named the club’s Player of the Season for 2023/24 – leading to huge interest from the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Real Madrid over the summer.
However, he stayed at the City Ground, featuring in every league game so far this year, forming an excellent partnership with Milenkovic – playing a huge role in the recent success in England’s top flight.
Despite his recent displays, he still earns less than one other Reds player whose move to the club has been a complete disaster despite the early promise around his big-money addition.
The player who earns more than Murillo
Attacker Emmanuel Dennis joined Forest during the summer of 2022 after promotion from the Championship, with the hopes of bolstering the frontline and providing the goals to ensure survival.
The £20m fee was understandable given his record of ten league goals with relegated Watford the season prior, but the move for the Nigerian failed to live up to expectations.
He would make just 25 appearances in all competitions during his debut year at the club, scoring just two goals against Aston Villa and Newcastle United, but ultimately looking well below the level required for the top flight.
Dennis would spend the entirety of last season on loan at Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir and former side Watford, returning to the Reds for the ongoing campaign.
However, he was unable to secure a place in Nuno’s first-team squad, now rotting away in the club’s reserves and costing the hierarchy thousands of pounds per week – seemingly becoming the Premier League version of Harry Arter, pocketing huge money with no tangible first-team return.
The 26-year-old earns a reported £40k-per-week despite not featuring for Nuno since his appointment back in December 2023.
Nicolas Dominguez
£35k-p/w
Alex Moreno
£35k-p/w
Murillo
£30k-p/w
Danilo
£30k-p/w
Jota Silva
£25k-p/w
Anthony Elanga
£25k-p/w
His subsequent weekly earnings are higher than current first-team star Murillo, who only earns £30k-per-week despite his rapid rise in the East Midlands, with the Brazilian more than deserving of a new deal.
New CEO Edu is a huge coup for Marinakis and Co, hopefully having all of the tools to push the club in the right direction off the field after their recent success on it.
However, his first job must be to offload Dennis in some way shape or form to prevent the Reds from losing thousands of pounds each week on a player who simply isn’t at the level required anymore.
Nottingham Forest loan flop is now "unstoppable" & worth £59m after leaving
He was let go at Arsenal by Edu, who will join Nottingham Forest soon
ByJoe NuttallNov 6, 2024