Steve Cooper has continued his successful tenure at Nottingham Forest so far this season, with the Midlands club looking like a side ready to break away from relegation trouble and into the Premier League’s mid-table. Their most impressive moment has come against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, where they defeated the Blues in one of the moments of the campaign so far.
After a solid start, those at the club could yet turn their attention towards further reinforcements, be it in January, or preparation for the future with next summer’s targets lined up. And that could include one particular player, whose current contract expires in the summer.
Nottingham Forest’s transfers were once again extensive in the summer, welcoming a number of additions, from Anthony Elanga, and Divock Origi, all the way to Ibrahim Sangare. And, so far, although some may believe that their transfer tactics are rather drastic at times, they’ve been rewarded for their spending. From Cooper’s perspective, he will hope that his side return in even better form after the international break, too, as they look to create distance between themselves on the dropzone.
Off the pitch, meanwhile, the latest Borna Barisic transfer news is certainly interesting for the Midlands club. According to TeamTalk, Forest and Evangelos Marinakis are still interested in signing the Rangers left-back, whose current contract comes to an end next summer, meaning that he’s free to start discussions over a move come January.
The Croatian does reportedly have a new deal on the table, however, which would see him extend his time at the Gers by another two years. Perhaps handing Forest some hope is the fact that he is yet to put pen to paper on that deal, adding fuel to the fire when it comes to the rumours.
With current Forest left-back Harry Tofolo facing a five-month ban for breaching betting rules come the end of next season, welcoming Barisic wouldn’t exactly be a bad idea for Cooper. The 30-year-old would arrive with plenty of experience, having won the Scottish Premiership with the Gers. It is at the club that Barisic has been at his best throughout his career, and has earned deserved praise as a result, including from Pat Bonner, who once described the left-back as “superb” when speaking to BBC Sportsound.
So, Barisic is certainly one to keep an eye on in the coming months, especially if he fails to sign a new contract at Rangers. Forest haven’t been afraid to splash the cash in the past, either, meaning that if the Scottish giants want to cash in, the Midlands club could be there waiting to welcome the Croatian. He would add another element down Forest’s left-hand side, that’s for sure.
