Forgotten Chelsea man Omari Kellyman has confirmed his season has come to a premature end due to another hamstring injury.
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Kellyman signed from Aston Villa last summerHas yet to make Chelsea debut due to injuriesNew setback means he's out for the seasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Chelsea signed Kellyman from Aston Villa in June 2024 in a deal worth £19 million ($24m/€22m) but the 19-year-old will have to wait until next season now to make his debut for the Blues. Kellyman's campaign has been plagued by injury and he's now confirmed he's suffered another setback which means he won't be able to play again until the 2025-26 campaign.
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He wrote on Instagram: "Beyond gutted to say that this season has come to an early end for me due to a reinjury of my hamstring, despite only just returning after having hamstring issues for a massive part of this season. 24/25 has been a tough season for me mentally and physically due to injury but it’s important now that I take time to get this right and come out the other side stronger and better ready for what next season brings."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Kellyman joined Chelsea after making just six first-team appearances for Aston Villa and was handed a six-year contract by the Blues. However, he's gone on to endure a nightmare first season in west London due to physical issues and joins a lengthy injury list at Stamford Bridge that also includes Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Noni Madueke and Marc Guiu.
(C)GettyImagesWHAT NEXT
Kellyman's focus will now be on recovering from his latest injury in time to be ready for the start of next season. The teenager was linked with a loan move away from Chelsea in January and that may become an option again in the summer in order for him to enjoy regular football after almost a year on the sidelines.
After Todd Boehly’s takeover of Chelsea back in May 2022, no one could have predicted the massive influx of transfers that would take place at Stamford Bridge.
The American purchased the club from Roman Abramovich for a reported £4.25bn, but despite the huge acquisition to buy the Blues, he’s since invested a whole heap of cash into the playing squad.
Nearly three years on since he arrived in London, Boehly has spent around £1.2bn on new talents, investing for the present whilst also keeping one eye on the future.
Somehow, the club have avoided any punishment from the Premier League for breaking PSR or FFP – an unthinkable situation given the funds they have spent in recent times.
With such an array of transfers made, it’s obvious that some were going to fail to live up to expectations, but there are numerous who have caught the eye since their move to the Bridge.
Some of Chelsea’s best signings of the Boehly era
Striker Nicolas Jackson was a player who came under fire during last season under the former management regime despite scoring 14 Premier League goals.
However, since Enzo Maresca’s appointment during the summer, the Senegalese has taken his game to the next level – starring in front of goal.
The 23-year-old has already found the back of the net eight times in his opening 13 matches, sitting as joint top scorer in the league alongside Cole Palmer with a third of the season already complete.
Moises Caicedo arrived in West London with huge expectations after his £115m transfer from Brighton – a deal that broke the record for being the most expensive in English football.
However, he’s already made 63 appearances, scoring twice, including a phenomenal long-range effort against Bournemouth towards the back end of the season.
The price tag would’ve played on the mind of the 23-year-old, but he’s proven to be worth every penny of the fee paid for his services, but the same can’t be said for one of his current teammates.
Todd Boehly's worst transfers at Chelsea… so far
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2 ByStephan Georgiou Aug 23, 2024 The high-earning Chelsea player who Maresca needs to sell
After his summer arrival, boss Maresca has already created a settled side, as demonstrated by their current league standing, which sees them sit third and level on points with second-placed Arsenal.
His arrival has allowed for a fresh start for numerous players, including left-back Marc Cucurella, who has nailed down the position in recent months, featuring in 12 of the 13 Premier League games this campaign.
Other players have not been so lucky, including central defender Benoit Badiashile, starting just one league meeting to date, featuring for a combined 157 minutes.
However, the Frenchman arrived with high hopes after his £35m transfer from Monaco back in January 2023, but he’s only made 44 appearances since his big-money deal, finding himself down the pecking order this season.
Badiashile, who earns £90k-per-week at the Bridge, has mainly been restricted to Europa Conference League appearances this campaign, not at the level required for Maresca given his lack of league action.
1) Levi Colwill
1169
2) Wesley Fofana
1017
3) Marc Cucurella
919
4) Malo Gusto
733
5) Reece James
241
6) Tosin
172
7) Benoit Badiashile
157
8) Axel Disasi
95
9) Ben Chilwell
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He still has plenty of time on his side given his tender age of just 23, but it’s safe to say that the move hasn’t worked out, especially after owner Boehly was “delighted” to secure his services nearly two years ago.
Given his £35m fee, the defender has currently cost the club £800k per appearance he’s made, a huge amount given his lack of impact in recent months.
His hefty wage, unfortunately, doesn’t reflect his game time since the appointment of the Italian, with a transfer away from the Blues potentially needed to kickstart a career which has become rather “dreadful” at Stamford Bridge in the words of pundit Gabby Agbonlahor.
There’s no way given his recent form, that the hierarchy would be able to make a profit, potentially taking a massive hit on their investment, but giving him the opportunity to resurrect his once-promising career.
Their answer to Odegaard: Chelsea keen on signing "world-class" £42m star
Chelsea could be about to make a move for a huge European talent.
Xabi Alonso has urged Bayer Leverkusen to channel Liverpool's 'Miracle of Istanbul' after racking up a three-goal deficit against Bayern Munich.
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Leverkusen lose 3-0 in first leg against BayernAlonso urges side to channel 'Miracle of Istanbul'Liverpool came back from 3-0 half-time deficit in 2005Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Bayer Leverkusen have had Bayern Munich's number over the last season and a half, with the Bavarians not beating Die Werkself since September 2022; however, as the two sides faced off in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 on Wednesday, Vincent Kompany's side blew the visitors away with a 3-0 win thanks to a Harry Kane brace on either side of Jamal Musiala's strike.
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In the Champions League, a team has only come back from a three or more goal deficit from the first-leg on four occasions. As such, Alonso has urged his players to channel Liverpool's 'Miracle of Istanbul' when the Reds, who featured Alonso as a player, had come back from a three-goal deficit against AC Milan during the 2005 Champions League final.
GettyWHAT ALONSO SAID
Speaking to the media, Alonso said when asked about using the 'Miracle of Istanbul' as inspiration: "Absolutely. It will take time to analyse and go through this result because we have been beaten well. Everything went against us because of us.
"But it is not over until it is over and, as you said, anything can happen. The mindset has to be that and if there is a chance, we will fight for it. We have to fight back. We will learn from this and believe in our return leg. We don't give up so easily. Three goals? You never know. One goal can change anything."
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WHAT NEXT FOR BAYER LEVERKUSEN?
Die Werkself will now prepare for their Bundesliga clash against Werder Bremen before they get set to host Bayern Munich at BayArena on Tuesday, March 11, as they look to come back in supreme fashion to keep their Champions League dream alive.
“His keeping was the best I’ve seen”, says India’s Test captain
Andrew Fidel Fernando14-Mar-20225:34
Takeaways for India: Iyer’s consistency, Pant’s confidence, and more
We know what Rishabh Pant can offer with the bat. And we have to let Rishabh Pant do Rishabh Pant things. But his keeping? His DRS calls? Those have been truly impressive.All that, at least, is what Rohit Sharma had to say about his wicketkeeper-batter (we’re paraphrasing, obviously), soon after Rohit’s first series as full-time Test captain concluded. Through the course of the series, Rohit appeared to trust Pant’s judgement on DRS calls especially.Pant hit 185 runs at a strike rate of 120.12 throughout the series.Related
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“His batting is his batting. We know how he bats and as a team we just want to give him that freedom to bat in the way that he wants to bat. But also keeping in mind certain situations of the game, where the game is going, we have also conveyed that to him, but we want to stick with his game plan as a team. It just seems to get better and get better – his game plans.”There will be times when you will smash your head and say ‘why did he play that shot’ but again we need to be ready to accept that with him when he bats. And he is somebody who can change the game in 40 minutes.”And the most significant factor of his in this series was his keeping. His keeping was best that I have seen. He kept well when England came last year and he seems to get better every time he keeps wickets for India, so that is something that I have been very impressed with.”And also the DRS calls, seems to be making the right calls. DRS, we all know – it’s like a lottery. I have made it very clear with Rishabh what I want. There are certain aspects of the game that I have told him to look into and that’s about it. DRS calls are not something you will always get it right. There will be times when you will be making wrong calls. But that’s absolutely okay.”Although both Mohali and Bangalore surfaces were spin-friendly, the bowler who emerged with the best average from this series is Jasprit Bumrah, whose 10 wickets came at an average of 9.0 exactly. He was especially impressive in the first innings in Bangalore, where he took 5 for 24.”To come out and bowl like that in these kind of conditions shows how much skill and ability he has. Someone like Bumrah, he’s never out of the game whatever the conditions are. He’s always in the game and it gives the captain a lot of benefits, to rotate and get the best out of each bowler when you have quality like Bumrah in the team. He understands the conditions really well.”To bowl on certain pitches, you need certain skillsets. And he seems to bringing those skillsets into the game depending on what sort of assistance he has from the pitch. In Mohali we saw a different sort of pitch and he was still effective. This was a different kind of pitch. it was turning and bouncing and everything was happening for spinners. If there’s any lateral movement, he’s always in play.”
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is personally eyeing an "exciting" player, and the man in question is keen on joining him too.
Spurs transfer news
Spurs have started this Premier League season with real aplomb, as both supporters and Postecoglou's squad seriously take to their new head coach who's becoming more and more popular with each passing game. The Lilywhites have won five out of a possible seven league matches so far this term, scoring 17 goals in the process, with only Newcastle, Brighton and Aston Villa scoring more than them.
The likes of Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr, previously outcasts under Conte, are now dazzling under Postecoglou as part of a new-look Spurs side who are back to playing an attack-minded, expansive brand of football. Summer signings like James Maddison and Micky van de Ven have also thrived for the Australian, especially the latter, who's scored two goals and assisted four others while starting every single 90 so far.
However, their success could be thwarted by potential injuries to star players, as Tottenham are pretty short defensively and in other areas of the field. Spurs reportedly have a few top targets in mind to provide back up behind both van de Ven and Cristian Romero, and it is believed they could add to their forward ranks with a replacement for Harry Kane in 2024.
Who could Spurs sign?
Postecoglou's fluid Spurs frontline has coped very well without the presence of a number nine llke Kane, with new club captain Son Heung-min dazzling in a more central role. Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison (in parts), Maddison, Manor Solomon and Brennan Johnson are also fruitful options in the attacking areas, yet a new report has suggested that Tottenham could strengthen further forward by potentially signing Jota from Al-Ittihad.
Celtic'sJotacelebrates scoring their second goal with teammates
The former Celtic star, who worked with Postecoglou at Parkhead for two years, is a player the Lilywhites head coach knows very well. According to 90min, Tottenham's manager is personally keen to bring Jota to N17, and the feeling is mutual. The Portuguese would "ultimately love" to link up with his old boss at Spurs, which gives Tottenham a slight edge in the race ahead of other suitors.
Pundit Alan Hutton, commenting on the player last summer, called Jota an "exciting" and "incredible" player.
"Jota's only 23-years-old, he's still developing," explained Hutton to Football Insider. "He's probably only going to get better, I think he can get better. What he's done this season has been incredible, for him to come from his parent club, where he's not really been playing. Benfica are a big club in their own right but to come to another club where there's a lot of pressure, to perform at such a young age, he's stood up to that task.
“Jota's that player fans want to see. He's exciting, he takes people on, he makes things happen, he scores goals and ticks all the boxes."
The South Africa batsman’s 39-ball 90, his highest IPL score in a chase, lifted RCB to their second win
The Report by Shashank Kishore21-Apr-2018 Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:58
Faulkner: Once AB goes aerial, he can’t be stopped
AB de Villiers had been threatening to fire. On Saturday, when he finally did, there was elation and relief in equal measure for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Their bowlers in particular have borne the brunt of some stunning assaults this season. Here, they watched one of their own give back, and in some style. Conventions and text-book cricket was thrown out of the window, out came the dash of the unorthodox to ensure the Chinnaswamy was one giant party that went home singing RCB hymns.De Villiers’ unbeaten 39-ball 90, on a surface where there was grip and turn for the spinners, lifted Royal Challengers to their second win. For Delhi Daredevils, rooted to the bottom of the table with just one win in five games, there was some consolation.Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, two men they retained ahead of the auction, made destructive half-centuries to lift Daredevils from 58 for 2, the lowest 10-over score this season, to a competitive 174. Unfortunately, their bowlers delivered neatly-wrapped gifts to de Villiers and saw their defence turn cold 15 overs into the chase.Chahal stifles Daredevils’ in Powerplay Jason Roy had been out 12 times in 22 T20s to legspinners prior to Saturday, so in throwing the ball to Yuzvendra Chahal in the Powerplay, Virat Kohli targeted that weakness straightaway. After beating Roy with two legbreaks that turned square, Chahal owned him with a flipper that skid through. Roy, who was tempted to back away and cut, was beaten for pace as the ball crashed into the stumps.Gautam Gambhir, one of the better players against spin, didn’t give himself a chance on this track, and was out mistiming a pull to square leg. Daredevils played out 22 dot balls and limped to 28 for 2, the lowest Powerplay score this season. Chahal’s two tight overs that went for just 11 set Royal Challengers up nicely.Umesh bowls out inside 10th over Umesh Yadav has begun well in each of the four previous games. In two of these games, he has picked up a wicket, sometimes two like he did against Mumbai Indians, in his first over. No concerns there. His end-overs bowling, however, hasn’t been high quality so far, but then which Royal Challengers bowler’s has?BCCIAgainst Rajasthan Royals in Royal Challengers’ previous home game, Umesh conceded 40 off his last two overs in the death. Off the five final overs he has bowled this season, Umesh went for 77. So Kohli countered the move by bowling him out inside 10 overs. His spell of 4-0-27-1 put even more pressure on Daredevils.Iyer triggers surge, Pant sustains it That Daredevils overcame a slow first half to wallop 116 off the next 10 was down to Pant and Iyer’s 49-ball 75 stand. Pant started with a wallop through extra cover, while Iyer, who strikes at less than 100 for his first 10 deliveries, began with two sparkling strokes. Where Gambhir struggled for timing, these two were calculative initially, and began to open up slowly.By bowling out Umesh and with Washington Sundar finishing three overs by the 12th over, RCB depended on Chris Woakes and Mohammed Siraj to man the death overs. This move didn’t pay off. The surge started when Iyer swatted Sundar for two towering leg-side sixes in his final over en route a 29-ball half-century.Pant was all muscle to begin with, particularly the lofted hits he cleanly smacked over the ropes on either side of the ‘V’. He also brought out the ramps and reverse sweep to raise his half-century off 34 balls. Then he smashed two sixes and two fours, with the last 24 deliveries going for 57.Amid the carnage, Kohli left Chahal’s one over unutilised despite assistance for the slower bowlers. His eventual figures of 2 for 22 stood out, even as the rest of the bowlers went for plenty.De Villiers special offsets RCB hiccups Manan Vohra, replacing the out-of-form Sarfaraz Khan, was out top-edging a sweep in the second over. Quinton de Kock sacrificed his wicket after a horrendous mix-up with Kohli. Royal Challengers needed their two superstars to bail them out.De Villiers has been noticeably faster off the blocks this season, going at a first-ten-ball strike rate of nearly 170. Over the past three seasons, that figure was 126.7. Surely he wouldn’t bat that way with the side needing a repair job? Wrong.Within three balls of his arrival in the fifth over, he changed the mood with two boundaries off Shahbaz Nadeem. In the left-arm spinner’s next over, de Villiers improvised to open up the leg side to play three brutal sweeps to truly rev up the chase. He hardly mistimed deliveries, found his spot at will and brought out an array of high-quality strokes that were difficult to match.Not even Kohli’s wicket for 30, to some Trent Boult brilliance through a perfectly-timed leap and a one-handed snatch inches from the deep-square leg fence, helped despite Royal Challengers needing 83 off 54 balls. The audacity in de Villiers’ strokes lay in how he casually swept medium-pacer Harshal Patel into the stands at deep-square leg. His South Africa team-mate Chris Morris wasn’t spared either. All this meant whatever happened at the other end, including missed run outs and leg stumps being sent for a cartwheel, was just a sideshow.
Three teams still remain in contention for a place in the 2019 World Cup, though Zimbabwe no longer have their fate in their own hands
ESPNcricinfo staff21-Mar-2018So, who’s through to the World Cup?As things stand, only West Indies have sealed their spot in next year’s World Cup. They will finish top of the Super Sixes table with eight points, irrespective of how Friday’s game between Afghanistan and Ireland goes.Zimbabwe, who are currently on the second qualifying spot despite a narrow defeat at the hands of UAE, are all but out of World Cup contention.Does that mean Zimbabwe still theoretically hold a chance of qualifying?Yes, it is quite a slender chance though. Zimbabwe will need the match between Afghanistan and Ireland to finish as a tie, which would bring down Ireland’s Net Run Rate down to 0.377, which is less than their NRR of 0.420.What do Ireland and Afghanistan need to do to qualify?Simple, win their final Super Sixes game, where they face off against each other on Friday. It is a knockout clash for all practical purposes, with the winner moving up to six points and qualifying for the final, and more crucially, taking the 10th and final World Cup spot.What happens if Friday’s game is washed out?In that case, Ireland, who currently sit at four points and a superior Net Run Rate to Zimbabwe’s, will go through, since a washout will have no impact on their NRR.
West Ham United turn their attention away from the Premier League tonight as they host Serbian side FK TSC Backa Topola at the London Stadium in the Europa League.
What's the latest West Ham team news?
Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, manager David Moyes confirmed that there are no fresh injury issues for the Hammers to contend with ahead of this match.
However, defensive midfielder Edson Alvarez is suspended and unavailable for selection after he was sent off against Union Berlin for Ajax in the competition last season.
West Ham are coming into the game off the back of a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City in the Premier League last weekend and the Scottish head coach may look to rotate his squad to offer players an opportunity to impress. One of those may well be Danny Ings.
Will Danny Ings start against Backa Topola?
One player who should be unleashed from the start of this clash is English centre-forward Ings, in order to provide him with a chance to play ahead of Michail Antonio.
The former Southampton star has made four appearances as a substitute in the league so far this season and this Europa League game is the perfect time to bring him in for his first start.
He could strike up an excellent relationship with James Ward-Prowse at the top end of the pitch as their pair already have plenty of experience alongside each other from their time on the south coast.
West Ham striker Danny Ings.
Ings and his compatriot played 88 matches together with the Saints and assisted each other for five goals combined between them in that time.
The 31-year-old marksman has only scored three goals in 26 matches for West Ham in all competitions since his move to the club in January but his form for Southampton in the past suggests that the potential is there for him to be a lethal scorer.
He was once lauded as a "goal machine" by journalist Joe Prince-Wright and the £125k-per-week ace lived up to that tag during his time at St. Mary's as the number nine racked up 46 goals in 100 matches.
Ings plundered an outstanding 34 Premier League goals across the 2019/20 and 2020/21 campaigns for the Saints and Ward-Prowse could help him to rediscover his touch in front of goal.
How many chances has Ward-Prowse created this season?
The England international has enjoyed a terrific start to his Hammers career and has created five chances in four Premier League games so far this season.
Ward-Prowse has provided his teammates with two 'big chances' and assisted three goals – two more than any other player – in that time to go along with his two strikes against Manchester City and Brighton.
West Ham midfielder James Ward-Prowse.
The central midfielder arrived at the London Stadium after he created nine 'big chances' and made 76 key passes across 38 top-flight matches for Southampton last term, which shows that he is capable of splitting open the opposition's defence on a regular basis.
Therefore, Ward-Prowse could be pivotal to ensuring that Ings is able to get back to his best and that is why the pair should both start tonight in this Europa League clash.
The English maestro could provide the former Aston Villa marksman with the service that he needs to get back on the scoresheet and Moyes should unleash them both.
The home side’s batting holds the key for them; the bowling remains their big worry
The Preview by Mohammad Isam15-Mar-2018Big PictureShakib Al Hasan’s surprise return has boosted Bangladesh ahead of their do-or-die game against Sri Lanka in the Nidahas Trophy. Even though he is coming back from an injury layoff, Sri Lanka will be wary of his all-round prowess, particularly in a T20 tournament in which four good overs make a big difference.The home side’s batting holds the key for them. Kusal Mendis is in fine form, with the likes of Kusal Perera, Upul Tharanga, Thisara Perera and Dasun Shanaka batting around him.Sri Lanka’s worries are with their bowling. Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Pradeep have missed lengths at crucial moments while Suranga Lakmal hasn’t been convincing in his only appearance. Isuru Udana, who bowled decently in the T20s in Bangladesh last month, could get a look-in. They will also expect Akila Dananjaya and Thisara Perera to slow things down.Bangladesh also would like a few more things to go their way, starting with their top-order batsmen finding the coordination that worked well in the previous Sri Lanka game. Liton Das, Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar and Mushfiqur Rahim didn’t get in each other’s way when going after the bowlers, which meant the batsman at the other end provided support. Against India, it was guns blazing from both ends which didn’t really pan out as planned.Shakib’s inclusion would most likely mean Sabbir batting at No. 7 and five specialist bowlers. It should put a smile on interim coach Courtney Walsh’s face, as the likes of Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman and Mehidy Hasan can now rely on a very experienced bowler to take the lead role.Form guideSri Lanka: LLWWW (last five completed games, most recent first) Bangladesh: LWLLLNazmul Islam celebrates a wicket•Associated PressIn the spotlightAfter two explosive innings in Bangladesh last month, a lot has been expected from Dasun Shanaka, but lack of opportunity has been an issue for him in this tournament.Mahmudullah has also been expected to do well after making a couple of quick forties against Sri Lanka last month. But he too hasn’t quite made the runs in the Nidahas Trophy; he has 32 runs in three innings.Team newsNot much is broke with Sri Lanka but they have Dhananjaya de Silva as an extra batting option. Amila Aponso and Isuru Udana are options for bowling spots.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Danushka Gunathilaka, 2 Kusal Mendis, 3 Kusal Perera (wk), 4 Upul Tharanga, 5 Thisara Perera (capt), 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Jeevan Mendis, 8 Akila Dananjaya, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Nuwan PradeepShakib’s return would reshape Bangladesh’s line-up, although it may very well just be the one change: Nazmul Islam stepping out and Shakib taking his place.Bangladesh (probable) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Liton Das, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 7 Sabbir Rahman, 8 Mehidy Hasan, 9 Mustafizur Rahman, 10 Rubel Hossain, 11 Abu HiderPitch and conditionsEven if the pitch’s characteristics change slightly, chasing seems to be the only option – so the toss becomes very important. Rain remains in the forecast.Stats and trivia Having regained his place in the T20 side this year, Kusal Mendis has scored four fifties in five matches, 246 runs at an average of 49.20. Before 2018, he had scored just 74 at 9.25 Nazmul Islam would be desperate for wickets – he hasn’t picked up even one in this tournament so far
In the world of football, Nottingham Forest are a sleeping giant, laying dormant like a volcano, but finally erupting in 2022 following their promotion back to the Premier League after 23 long years.
The Reds have since used that momentum to splash the cash in the transfer window, unearthing some talent that has since risen to prominence on Trentside, namely Taiwo Awoniyi and Morgan Gibbs-White, and several not-so-prominent, Jesse Lingard, Jonjo Shelvey and Andre Ayew.
While Forest have been prolific with their transfer dealings rather than accurate and astute like Newcastle or Brighton, it is easy to lose track of who has walked through the City Ground doors in the past two seasons, however, deciphering who they missed out on instead is an easier task to resolve.
Every team has stories to tell when discussing the ones who got away and became world-beaters elsewhere; Forest are no different. In 2020, they failed to strike when the iron was hot in their pursuit of Ivan Toney, missing out on the striker who chose Brentford as his destination.
Those woes were also laid bare when they refused to stump up the £2.5m asking price to sign Harry Maguire from Sheffield United in 2014, leaving the door open for Hull City to swoop. Although the 30-year-old is enduring a torrid time at Manchester United, since departing the Tigers in 2017.
The above cases will have left supporters deeply frustrated, although perhaps the most infuriating example of a player who got away is serial Champions League winner, Gareth Bale, with the Reds nearly signing the then up-and-coming left back from Tottenham back in the day.
Did Forest nearly sign Gareth Bale?
Once upon a time, Bale happened to be struggling to get in the side at Spurs with a number of suitors willing to pry him away from the north Londoners. In fact, a £2m bid from Forest was even believed to be in the offing, according to reports.
A move came pretty close in 2009, as talks took place between respective parties with a deal was near enough done. Recalling negotiations in 2013, Clive Allen commented: "It did go pretty close.
“I know there were discussions between the clubs. The clubs had agreed the potential of the move, so it was something that he had to think about."
Just as a deal was nearing completion, however, Bale made a U-turn, informing staff that he wanted to stay and fight for his place at White Hart Lane.
He joined Tottenham from Southampton as a highly-rated teenager in 2007 for £10m, but after struggling for form and confidence, playing second fiddle to Benoit Assou-Ekotto, he wasn't fancied at the time by manager Harry Redknapp and according to ex-teammate Alan Hutton, could have seen his development stagnate.
Speaking to Daily Star Sport, Hutton said: "Gareth Bale had a difficult situation, he had all the talent in the world but just needed an arm round him from what I could see,
"I think it was January and Assou-Ekotto was playing left-back, Bale's position at the time, and he got a call-up for the Africa Cup of Nations.
"Bale had to then step in and play, but prior to that there was word he was going to Nottingham Forest. I'm not sure if it was a loan or permanent but that says to me that [Tottenham manager] Harry [Redknapp] didn't fancy him."
Bale would soon become the most talented player that slipped through the grasp of Forest, as he later showcased his superstar qualities for Spurs.
The game-changer for Tottenham to unearth those talents was unleashing him as a left-winger, allowing him to utilise his frightening pace and world-beating talents in the final third, helping Spurs qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 2010 before tearing Maicon to shreds three months later, writing his name in lights with a hat-trick against Inter Milan at the San Siro.
What did Gareth Bale achieve after leaving Tottenham?
Across an illustrious career at the pinnacle of world football, Bale achieved greatness following a world record £85m move to Real Madrid in 2013, winning five Champions Leagues and three La Liga titles during his time in the capital.
Lauded as a "generational talent" by former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, Bale became a superstar in Spain, playing a huge role alongside the devastating duo of Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo as Real dominated domestically and in Europe, with the Welshman chalking up an eye-watering 173 goal contributions in 258 games for the club.
Bale produced several eye-catching moments in Spain that stand the test of time, including his humiliation of Marc Bartra in the Copa Del Rey final in 2014 and his overhead kick against Liverpool in the Champions League final in 2018, arguably the greatest ever goal in the competition.
If there was ever a man to step up for his club and country when it mattered, Bale was the man for the big occasion, cementing his place among the elites in world football for his ability to conjure up crucial match-winning moments out of nothing, with Peter Crouch paying an ode to his rapid rise to stardom.
Writing in his column for the Daily Mail a few years ago, Crouch earmarked Bale as one of the most impressive players he's seen develop.
"When I was at Southampton there was a buzz about two kids at the Academy — Theo Walcott and Gareth Bale.
"Our paths did not cross for another couple of years until we were together at Tottenham. The young lad I saw initially had some confidence issues and had not enjoyed playing at left-back.
"The talk was that he was going to go to Nottingham Forest for £2m. Then, though, he started to find his feet. He got faster, stronger. His confidence began to grow and gradually all those special things we had been told about when he was a kid started to come true."
Crouch was right, Bale sprung into life out of nowhere – almost like the several pieces of magic he conjured up throughout his exceptional career – and had he made a move to the City Ground in 2009, imagine how differently his career would have panned out.