Marinakis has held talks to re-sign a defender for Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest have held talks to sign a former Atletico Madrid star, with Evangelos Marinakis directly involved, and he has now made a decision on moving to the City Ground.
Forest looking to strengthen squad amid relegation battle
Forest have some breathing room near the bottom of the Premier League table, having gotten some wins under their belt since the arrival of Sean Dyche, but they are not out of the woods just yet, suffering a 1-0 defeat away at Fulham on Monday night.
The Tricky Trees remain just five points clear of the bottom three, so there is still plenty of work to do, as we approach the half-way stage of the season, with the January transfer window nearly upon us.
A lack of goals has been one of Dyche’s side’s main problems this season, having scored just 17, the second-lowest number in the top flight, with only bottom of the table Wolverhampton Wanderers scoring fewer.
As such, bringing in a new striker may be of interest in 2026, and earlier this month it was revealed that Nottingham Forest have now joined the race for Bologna striker Santiago Castro.
However, Forest have also set out to strengthen at the opposite end of the pitch, according to a report in Brazil, which states talks have been held over a deal to re-sign their former defender Renan Lodi.
Lodi held direct discussions with Marinakis, but the chairman appears to have scuppered the deal, having made it clear he wanted the left-back to join Olympiacos on loan to begin with.
That proposition didn’t go down well with the former Atletico Madrid star, who spent the 2022-23 campaign at the City Ground, and he is now close to joining Brazilian side Clube Atlético Mineiro.
"Fantastic" £40k-a-week Nottingham Forest ace now set to leave within weeks
The Tricky Trees may be rocked by a departure in the January transfer window.
ByDominic Lund Lodi may have been unnecessary signing for Forest
The Tricky Trees have set out to bring in a new left-back, with Sassuolo’s Josh Doig emerging as a target earlier this month, but it is debatable whether they need to strengthen in that area of the pitch.
Subscribe for in-depth Forest transfer coverage Dive deeper — subscribe to the newsletter for detailed coverage and analysis of Nottingham Forest’s recruitment — from Lodi discussions to Castro links — with clear context across the Premier League transfer scene. Subscribe for in-depth Forest transfer coverage Dive deeper — subscribe to the newsletter for detailed coverage and analysis of Nottingham Forest’s recruitment — from Lodi discussions to Castro links — with clear context across the Premier League transfer scene.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Dyche already has Neco Williams and Oleksandr Zinchenko at his disposal, while Cuiabano is due to return from a loan spell with Botafogo, so there is little reason to bring in yet another left-back.
Instead, it may be a better idea to focus on bringing in attacking reinforcements, especially considering there have been suggestions Arnaud Kalimuendo already wants to leave, despite only arriving in the summer.
As previously mentioned, Bologna star Castro is one of the names on Forest’s shortlist, and the 21-year-old could be an exciting addition, having amassed five goal contributions in 13 Serie A outings this season.