Forest targets

Wednesday, 31/08/2011

by Shaun Wheatcroft, Shoot's Nottingham Forest blogger

With only hours remaining until the transfer window slams shut the Nottingham Forest acquisition panel will be keeping Steve McClaren on tenterhooks while they attempt to lure his chosen targets to beside the River Trent.

With the Reds still licking their wounds from a 4-1 defeat at home to promotion rivals West Ham last Sunday, McClaren will be hoping that these additions are made promptly. His side currently sit 18th in the Championship with only one win to their name out of five.

Although many Forest fans have stressed the need for a left back, the club have reiterated a strong message to the fans all season that the position is not a priority. McClaren backed up that decision at the weekend stating that he is happy to keep using square pegs in round holes.

The ex-England manager is however believed to still be on the lookout for a winger after the Wesley Verhoek deal fell through at the eleventh hour earlier this month. Verhoek would have been a fantastic purchase for the club but unfortunately the ADO starlet failed to feel at home in Nottingham and remained at Den Haag.

The Belgian press reported on Tuesday that Forest had made enquiries regarding two Belgian Pro League stars. The first is 23-year-old Marvin Ogunjimi, a left-footed winger who can play in a variety of attacking positions and is currently playing for Racing Genk, he has also featured in the Belgian national side.

The second is another hot-prospect winger Réginal Goreux, also 23, who plays on the right of midfield for Standard Liege but can also slot into the defence. No signatures have been confirmed yet but Reds fans will be hoping for further developments before Thursday.

It is clear from the two Belgian targets that McClaren wants to install more width into his Forest side and believes he needs young, talented players in order to do that successfully.

The necessity for width is underlined further by the news that Forest have shown interest in the highly-rated Leeds United winger Max Gradel. However French club Saint-Etienne are said to already be in ‘advanced’ talks with the Ivorian and he could move to France subject to a medical.

Whether or not there will be new additions to McClaren’s struggling squad when he wakes on Thursday morning it seems that one thing is for sure - it could be a very long season for Forest fans who are yet to see their side win at home.

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