Forest boss in summer search for goals

HUGHTON KNOWS REDS WILL HAVE TO RECRUIT IN NEXT WINDOW AS HE AIMS TO IMPROVE SIDE’S SCORING RECORD

BOSS Chris Hughton has provided a clear indication Nottingham Forest will target attacking reinforcements in the summer.

The Reds are among the lowest scorers in the Championship this season, having registered only 34 goals. Only Birmingham City (31), Wycombe Wanderers and

Derby County (both on 30) have found the net less often.

The club’s top goalscorers in the League are Lewis Grabban and Lyle Taylor with four apiece, while Sammy Ameobi, Alex Mighten and James Garner each have three.

Forest’s struggles up front were underlined again at the weekend, when they dominated possession against Bristol City but failed to find a breakthrough as they had to settle for a 0-0 draw.

With the aim to challenge at the top end of the table next term, Hughton will look to bolster his options when the transfer window opens.

“We need to demand more from individuals,” he told the Nottingham Post.

“If I’m looking at this moment, this season our top goal scorer is on four goals. It’s quite obvious we need more goals in the team.

“Those goals have got to be provided by players who are in the squad – or new players that come here next season, because we know we’ll have to recruit in the summer. There will be players who come here next season who can give us something.”

Asked if he saw the Reds’ goalshy nature as being a longer-term issue to fix, Hughton added:

“Unfortunately, in this game these days, we don’t tend to talk about long-term.

“Everybody wants some success – whatever success is – and they want it straight away.

“That’s the pressure we have as managers. Certainly, come next season, I would desperately want it to be a better season than however this season ends up.”

In the striker department, Forest will have Grabban and Taylor under contract for 2021-22, while youngster Will Swan will return from a loan spell at Port Vale. The club also have Nuno Da Costa - although it is difficult to see a way back for the 30-yearold, with loan club Royal Excel Mouscron holding an option to buy.

Veteran forward Glenn Murray is one of a number of players whose deals will come to an end in the summer, along with loanees Garner, Cyrus Christie, Luke Freeman, Filip Krovinovic and Anthony Knockaert.

Hughton believes the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic and having gone more than a year without matchday revenue will have an impact on clubs throughout the divisions.

“It will be challenging. It’s certainly a different type of summer,” he said.

“At this moment, our starting position is that we have five loan players who will go back to their respective clubs come the end of the season. And we have some players who, at this moment, are still out of contract.

“We’ve got a fair bit of work to do in the summer.

“I think it will be a more challenging summer for most clubs - whether that will be the case with us, I don’t know.

“Some clubs are in different positions, as regards the ownership of clubs. But there isn’t one club which hasn’t been affected by the season, some more than others.

“The Premier League is different but every club outside of that will have players who are out of contract and will have to make decisions and financial decisions.

“Even for the Premier League clubs, with the money they are used to having coming in, it affects them also.”