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Former Arsenal man Jermaine Pennant has told Football FanCast that the Gunners should be targeting their next big move in the coming weeks, having already wrapped up a deal for Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres in recent days.

Latest on Arsenal's remaining transfer business

It’s over. It’s finally over.

Having toyed with the idea of plumping for RB Leipzig starlet, Benjamin Sesko, Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has steered the club in a different direction, having wrapped up a belated deal for Swedish supertstar, Gyokeres.

The £55m striker – who scored 97 goals in just 102 games in Lisbon – is the latest addition amid a hectic summer of activity for those at the Emirates, with the 27-year-old joining Noni Madueke, Christian Norgaard, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Cristhian Mosquera and Martin Zubimendi in bolstering Mikel Arteta’s ranks.

Six signings in the can, although there appears to be room for a little more, with the north Londoners also said to be in the mix for Real Madrid sensation, Rodrygo, amid his uncertain future at the Bernabeu.

That search for a left-winger also seen Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon emerge as a potential option, while elsewhere, the Dutch duo of Xavi Simons and Jorrel Hato have also both been linked – albeit with the young pairing looking set to join Chelsea.

Perhaps the most concrete target remains that of Eberechi Eze, however, with that potential acquisition one that is already sparking notable excitement…

Pennant thinks Arsenal could make a "great signing"

With Gyokeres now signed, sealed and delivered, the Gunners are moving on to new targets, with the aforementioned Pennant – speaking exclusively to Football FanCast on behalf of Adventure Gamers – tipping his former side to tie up a deal for Crystal Palace talisman, Eze.

The England international – who scored at Wembley to help steer Palace to FA Cup glory last season – has been earmarked as a leading target for Arteta and co throughout the summer window, having spent the past five years at Selhurst Park.

Latest reports have indicated that the north Londoners have even agreed an initial fee for the £100k-per-week playmaker, with Eze fresh off the back of having chipped in with 25 goals and assists in all competitions in 2024/25.

Arsenal

7

1

0

Chelsea

9

1

1

Liverpool

7

1

1

Manchester City

9

2

1

Manchester United

11

0

0

Spurs

7

3

1

Total

50

8

4

Reportedly available for around £68m, as Pennant suggested, the 27-year-old could well prove to be a “great signing” for the Emirates side.

Jermaine Pennant tells Arsenal to sign "big-name" £85m Gyokeres alternative

Former Arsenal man Jermaine Pennant has tipped the Gunners to make another “big-name signing” this summer

ByRobbie Walls Jul 24, 2025

Tottenham have opened talks to sign another player in a “separate deal from Savinho”, according to Fabrizio Romano on Tuesday, with the Lilywhites moving to support new manager Thomas Frank with late fresh faces before deadline day.

Spurs recently lost Son Heung-min to LAFC, who drew the curtain on his memorable 10-year stay at the club with an emotional farewell in Seoul, while star playmaker James Maddison is set to be absent for most of 2025/2026 with an ACL rupture.

This series of blows comes amid Dejan Kulusevski’s lengthy lay-off with a knee injury too, so the need for new attacking options is glaringly obvious.

Daniel Levy and technical director Johan Lange attempted to shore up Frank’s forward line with a £60 million deal for Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White last month, and the deal was so advanced that Spurs even had a medical booked in for the Englishman.

However, after Forest blocked the move, threatened legal action and convinced Gibbs-White to commit his future to the City Ground, Tottenham were forced back to square one in pursuit of a new number 10.

With just three weeks to go until the transfer window closes on September 1, Spurs have now upped the ante in search of proven attackers to fill the voids left by Kulusevski, Son and Maddison.

On Sunday evening, it was first reported by Romano that Tottenham opened club-to-club talks with Man City over a deal for Savinho, and the Brazil international winger is open to moving down south in what would be a statement deal.

The 21-year-old is expected to cost in excess of £45 million, but considering Savinho’s age, flair, pace, proven top-level experience and contribution going forward at Eastlands, this could be a very good value deal.

Savinho bagged 13 assists in all competitions for City last season, and was a key member of the Girona side that finished third in La Liga and briefly contended for the title in 2023/2024 – racking up 21 goal contributions.

His playing style can be likened to that of ex-City and Leicester star Riyad Mahrez, with the prospect of him joining Spurs a pretty tantalising one for supporters.

Now, in another bit of very promising news, Tottenham are in negotiations for Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze as well.

Tottenham open talks for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze

Frank’s side have been linked with a potential swoop for the 27-year-old in the last few days and earlier this summer, but discussions are reliably believed to be underway.

According to Romano via X on Tuesday morning, Spurs talks for Eze have reopened, with Levy and co trying to sign the England international again as they also work on a deal for Savinho simultaneously.

What’s more, Eze is also keen on a switch to N17, dealing a major worry to arch rivals Arsenal, who’ve been actively pursuing a deal for some time.

The former QPR star’s 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last term explain just half the story, with Eze spearheading Palace to their first ever major trophy by scoring their FA Cup final-winning strike at Wembley in May.

He is by far Palace’s standout attacking asset. Eze averaged more shots at goal, key passes and successful take-ons per 90 than any of his teammates in the top flight last season, with the CAM also able to fill Tottenham’s ‘locally trained’ Champions League quota in another potential boost.

There are plenty of reasons for Tottenham to move, and even more reasons for fans to clamor for his signature.

It’s been an interesting summer for Arsenal so far this year.

Andrea Berta and Co have been very active in the transfer market, bringing in six new faces for Mikel Arteta so far.

Undoubtedly, the most exciting addition has to be Viktor Gyokeres, who was a lean, mean goalscoring machine for Sporting CP last season, and looked good in the club’s final pre-season game.

However, while he was part of the team that picked up three points away to Manchester United on Sunday afternoon, he didn’t look anything like the goal threat we saw last season.

While he’ll likely only get better as he gets used to the Premier League, Arsenal could help speed things along by signing another international ace they’ve been linked with this summer, an international who could potentially help Gyokeres hit Erling Haaland-esque numbers.

Gyokeres' underwhelming debut

While Gyokeres looked impressive against Athletic Bilbao in the Emirates Cup, scoring a header and coming incredibly close to getting another, he didn’t make a great impression on his Premier League debut on Sunday.

Granted, it was a bad day at the office for most of the side, apart from David Raya and some of the defence, but with the eyes of the league watching him to see if he could translate his sensational goalscoring form from Portugal to England, the Swedish marksman failed.

For example, in his 60 minutes of action, the Stockholm-born international failed to take a single shot – the first time that has happened in a competitive game since his days at Coventry City – was unable to complete a single dribble, played no key passes, lost ten duels and took just 22 touches, which was 25 fewer than Raya between the sticks.

Now, in his defence, there were a couple of occasions when he drove out wide before firing a ball back towards the centre in reasonably dangerous positions only for nobody to get on the end of it, but by and large, it was a debut to forget.

However, given his form over the last few years, Gyokeres will surely find his shooting boots sooner or later, and for their part, Arsenal could bring in a particular player who might be able to help him reach Haaland-esque numbers: Rodrygo.

Why Rodrygo could help Gyokeres explode

Among all the attacking players Arsenal have been linked with this summer, Rodrygo has arguably been the most exciting, and while he is now being touted for a move to Manchester City, there is supposedly still a chance the Gunners can secure his services for around £78m.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Now, on top of being an exceptional signing in his own right, why would the Real Madrid star be able to help Gyokeres’ goalscoring numbers explode this season?

Well, the first reason is that he’s already proven himself to be a reliable source of goals and assists with the Spanish giants over the last couple of years.

​​​​

For example, across the 23/24 to 24/25 seasons, the “world-class superstar,” as dubbed by Luka Modrić, has found the back of the net on 31 occasions and provided 20 assists in 105 appearances, totalling 7159 minutes.

In other words, the often “unstoppable” dynamo, as dubbed by Madrid columist Kiyan Sobhani, was averaging a goal involvement every 2.05 games, or every 140.37 minutes in that period, which is made all the more impressive by the fact he was playing everywhere but his preferred position of left-wing.

Appearances

51

54

Minutes

3707′

3452′

Goals

17

14

Assists

9

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.50

0.46

Minutes per Goal Involvement

142.57′

138.08′

Just imagine the numbers the Swedish goal-machine would be able to put up with the 24-year-old to his left, instead of Gabriel Martinelli, and Bukayo Saka to his right – they could be Haaland-esque if things click.

Moreover, when we take a look at the former Santos gem’s underlying numbers, it quickly becomes clear that he is elite at getting the ball into dangerous areas through carrying, which for a traditional number nine like Gyokeres could be perfect.

For example, FBref ranked him in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in La Liga last season for carries into the final third, the top 3% for touches in the attacking third, the top 6% for total carrying distance, the top 10% for carries and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, with his record from the last two years being what it is, we know Gyokeres can score goals at a rate few can match, and to help him get close to those numbers again, Arsenal need to bring in a world-class left-winger like Rodrygo.

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Manchester City are now in talks to hijack Chelsea’s move for a “spectacular” midfielder, who the west Londoners were hoping to sign very soon.

Man City rivalling Chelsea for new midfielders

Despite Pep Guardiola repeatedly making it clear he wants to work with a smaller squad this season, Man City remain interested in bringing in at least one new midfielder before the deadline, and they have been credited with an interest in signing RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons.

However, Simons is seemingly set on joining Chelsea, despite having to wait a long time for the west Londoners to get a deal over the line, which means City have now been forced to more on to alternative targets.

With a deal for the RB Leipzig attacking midfielder looking unlikely, transfer expert Graeme Bailey has now revealed that Guardiola’s side could hijack a move for a different Chelsea target, namely Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez.

Speaking to TBR Football, Bailey said: “Chelsea were made aware of Lopez possibly being available, and he is a player they love, indeed, most clubs in Europe love him as a talent.

“Lopez has not been agitating to this point, but the camp has been talking to other clubs, and that includes City and Spurs. Nothing advanced at this point, but merely exploring possible options.”

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It was recently revealed that Enzo Maresca’s side are hoping to sign Lopez very soon, having already submitted a £50m bid for the Barca maestro’s services, but there could now be a twist in the tale, with Man City in talks with his agents.

"Spectacular" Lopez could be exciting Simons alternative

City seemingly stand little chance of winning the race for Simons, but the Barca midfielder could be a fantastic alternative, given that he also flourishes in an attacking midfield role, regularly providing goals and assists since making a breakthrough in the 2023-24 campaign.

Season

Appearances

G/A (all comps)

2023-24

42

12

2024-25

46

18

Former Barca boss Xavi has previously praised the Spaniard’s shooting ability too, claiming he has a “terrific shot from distance”, while also adding: “Fermin has a spectacular mentality. He’s always listening, always thinking and I really like his mentality – when you tell him things, they go in and he applies them.”

Lopez clearly has all the tools required to be a success at the Etihad Stadium, and given that he is just 22-years-old, the Barca star could be a key player for City for years to come, so it is exciting news that talks have now been opened over a deal.

Manchester United are now racing Barcelona for the signature of a “wonderful” rising star, who’s keen on a move to the Premier League.

Man Utd set sights on another young defender

It has been a subpar start to the season for Man United, with being knocked out of the EFL Cup by Grimsby Town a low point, but young defender Leny Yoro has managed to catch the eye, having been singled out for praise by Rio Ferdinand.

Ferdinand said: “Leny Yoro’s got pace, going to get more time. Yeah, I love him. I think his ceiling, I don’t know where his ceiling, how high, [it] could be anything. He just needs the pieces around him as well to help him as a young kid, but I think he has the nucleus of all the right traits to be a top centre-half and he will be because he wants to be.”

Yoro has started all three Premier League games up to this point, forming a partnership with Matthijs De Ligt and Harry Maguire, who is now arguably in the latter stages of his career at 32.

As such, it now appears as though United are looking to bring in a long-term replacement for Maguire, having joined the race for a rising star.

That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states Man United are battling the likes of Barcelona, Liverpool and Chelsea for the signature of Ajax defender Aaron Bouwman, having consistently scouted the 18-year-old.

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Bouwman, who idolises Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, is said to have world-class potential, which explains the interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs, and the teenager has previously made it clear he would be keen on a move to England.

The Ajax defender said: “The top four of the Premier League is my ultimate dream, although playing at the top in Spain or another major footballing country would also be amazing.”

"Wonderful" Bouwman is one for the future

Despite his age, the youngster has already managed to force his way into the Ajax team, helping his side keep a clean sheet against Telstar back in August, having previously impressed scout Antonio Mango at youth level.

In the 2-0 victory over Telstar, the young centre-back made 10 defensive actions, the joint-highest number of any player on the pitch, while also winning three duels.

Statistic

Number completed

Clearances

3

Blocked shots

3

Interceptions

1

Tackles

3

That said, Bouwman has still only made one senior appearance for Ajax, so it is perhaps too early to judge whether he would be a suitable signing for Man United, despite showing the hallmarks of a future star.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta recently handed 15-year-old Max Dowman his Premier League debut, with the schoolboy joining a contingent of rising stars at the Emirates.

The attacking midfielder dazzled in a 5-0 rout against Leeds and even won a penalty for star summer signing Viktor Gyokeres to fire home, right after he became the second-youngest Premier League debutant in history.

He’s also Arsenal’s second-youngest professional appearance-maker ever, behind Ethan Nwaneri, with Arteta rewarding Dowman by picking him in their final Champions League squad for the league phase.

Ethan Nwaneri

15 years, 181 days

Arsenal

Max Dowman

15 years, 235 days

Arsenal

Jeremy Monga

15 years, 271 days

Leicester City

Harvey Elliott

16 years, 30 days

Fulham

Matthew Briggs

16 years, 68 days

Fulham

The hype around Dowman is monumental right now, and club legend Paul Merson has already suggested he could be one of the best in the world.

Dowman and Nwaneri, if all goes to plan, could stock Arsenal’s attacking midfield options for the foreseeable future, with 18-year-old defender Myles Lewis-Skelly also rising to prominence last season.

The left-back played his way into England’s squad with some excellent performances both domestically and in Europe, pushing established Premier League players like Oleksandr Zinchenko down the pecking order.

Lewis-Skelly comes as an excellent alternative to Riccardo Calafiori as well, who’s impressed this season but has also struggled with injuries since joining Arsenal from Bologna in the summer of 2024.

In any case, the future looks very bright indeed, with Arsenal’s reputation for producing stellar gems via their Hale End academy only reinforced.

Arsenal also brought in some promising talent from elsewhere, namely defender Cristhian Mosquera in a bargain deal from Valencia in the summer.

Arsenal think Cristhian Mosquera could be one of the best in the world

The Spain Under-21 international played right-back against Leeds and did a solid job replacing the injured William Saliba against Liverpool, with Arsenal believed to hold Mosquera in very high esteem behind-the-scenes.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, speaking to TBR Football, while new signing Piero Hincapie is threatened by the 21-year-old when it comes to game time, those within the club believe Mosquera could be one of the best in the world at Arsenal in a few years.

The ex-La Liga sensation has also earned serious praise from Arteta already, who called him an “exciting” talent with “huge” potential.

Since he took the manager’s job over five years ago, there have been several players who have helped shape Mikel Arteta’s tenure at Arsenal.

There was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who went from FA Cup hero to outcast; Bukayo Saka, who’s gone from Hale End prospect to talismanic winger, and even David Raya, who many viewed as unnecessary to start but is now unquestionably one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

However, one of the most important players during the Spaniards’ time at the club was Granit Xhaka, who went from public enemy number one to a firm fan favourite under his watch.

While there isn’t anyone in the squad quite as far gone as the Swiss star was at his lowest, there is an international who could experience a similar revival of fortunes this season.

Xhaka's fall and rise at Arsenal

Arsenal signed Xhaka for around £34m in the summer of 2016, and while he wasn’t terrible, it would be fair to say that his first few seasons at the club were unremarkable from a performance perspective.

However, due in part to his experience, combativeness and the respect he had from his teammates, he was made club captain in September 2019, under Unai Emery.

Unfortunately, he was given the armband during a particularly poor run of form for the team, and when he was substituted off in a game a month later, he responded to the baying Emirates crowd by swearing at them and then throwing his shirt to the floor.

For all intents and purposes, it looked like his Arsenal career was over, and were it not for Arteta, who would be appointed a couple of months later, it would have been.

The former Borussia Mönchengladbach star later admitted that it was the former player who convinced him to stay, and it was a good thing he did, as over the next few years, he would regain the trust of the fans.

16/17

46

4

3

17/18

48

3

8

18/19

40

4

5

19/20

41

1

2

20/21

45

1

2

21/22

30

1

2

22/23

47

9

7

For example, in September 2022, in a game away at Brentford, the away supporters finally began to sing the midfielder’s name, something he clearly appreciated.

It was that season that the Basel-born titan reached his zenith in red and white, scoring nine goals and providing seven assists in 47 games as the club launched a surprising title charge.

He would grab himself a brace on the final day of the campaign in front of a packed Emirates that serenaded him for much of the game, highlighting just how far he’d come since that incident against Crystal Palace.

In all, Xhaka’s story at Arsenal is one of revival, and based on what we’ve just seen, there could be another Gunners’ star who experiences something similar this season.

The Arsenal star due a revival this season

With the way Arsenal have started this season, it would be difficult to name too many players who could need reviving, although one that comes to mind is Gabriel Martinelli.

Chalkboard

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The Brazilian “monster,” as journalist Mark Mann-Bryans once dubbed him, joined the club all the way back in 2019, and while he battled with a number of injuries, there was plenty of excitement over the sort of player he could become.

After all, in the 21/22 season, when he was still just 20 years old, he managed to rack up an impressive tally of 12 goal involvements in 36 games for the club.

However, it was in the following campaign that he really announced himself as a tremendously promising attacking talent, when he scored 15 goals and provided seven assists in 46 games, playing a significant role in the club’s title charge.

Unfortunately, as things stand, that season remains his best as an Arsenal player, as the following year he mustered up eight goals and five assists in 44 games, and then last season he scored ten goals and provided six assists in 51 games.

With mediocre numbers like that, it’s hardly a surprise that the club went out and signed Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke, who, considering the Brazilian has started one game this season, now appear to be ahead of him in the pecking order.

However, it is not all doom and gloom, as there is clearly still a talented player there, and we saw it on Tuesday night when he scored a brilliant goal against Athletic Bilbao and then provided an assist for Leandro Trossard.

Now, we aren’t saying that he should now start the next game, or that he should even start the ones after; instead, his cameo on Tuesday showed how he can still have an important place in the squad: as an impact squad.

In fact, Arteta doesn’t even call them that anymore; he told the press that he prefers the term “finishers” and that “the finishers are going to be more important this season than the starters.”

Whether that’s actually true or not, it does suggest that the former Martinelli still has a massive role to play for Arsenal, and that while some wanted him sold in the summer, the manager could help make him a crucial part of the team again, like he did with Xhaka.

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Nottingham Forest haven’t enjoyed a positive start to life under Ange Postecoglou and a key update on his future has now emerged from the City Ground.

Nottingham Forest suffer damaging Europa League defeat

The fairytale return of Nottingham Forest to the European scene was a just reward for an excellent campaign last term. However, their shock 3-2 defeat at home to FC Midtjylland was a stark reminder of the frailties present within Postecoglou’s side.

Despite being alive in the majority of the Australian’s matches so far, conceding at awkward times has led to six games without a win under the former Celtic boss, breeding an elevated level of pressure on him to get it right in the East Midlands.

Speaking post-match, Postecoglou remained unbothered by chants calling for his dismissal, claiming that nothing surprises him in football anymore.

He said: “I heard it. They’re fans, they want to see their team win, and they’re entitled to their opinion. Nothing surprises me in football any more. We’ve just got to keep going. There is no hiding in the sport we’re in. Got to keep your head up and recover. We have a tough game against Newcastle at the weekend.”

With high-profile pundits such as Tim Howard among his detractors, Postecoglou has work to do in order to prove the doubters wrong, but that sort of challenge saw him win the Europa League last term, hence why it would be premature to count him out.

Nottingham Forest star fumes at something he's "never seen" before vs Sunderland

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BySean Markus Clifford Sep 28, 2025

Newcastle United await on Sunday and won’t be an easy outfit to overcome. Nevertheless, their indifferent start to the Premier League season may offer a sliver of hope to the travelling supporters.

Either way, a change in mood is needed at the City Ground, though how are the Nottingham Forest hierarchy feeling about Postecoglou’s situation? Fabrizio Romano has delivered an update on that front.

Fabrizio Romano on how Nottingham Forest view Ange Postecoglou

Writing in his GIVEMESPORT newsletter, Romano has confirmed Nottingham Forest are being patient with Postecoglou and believe that he simply needs time to adapt before results improve at the City Ground.

Truthfully, Postecoglou is between a bit of a rock and a hard place, though he is certainly made of strong stuff and has shown he has the thick skin to come through adversity.

However, his side need to find a level of stability, as two draws and four defeats isn’t going to cut it if Nottingham Forest want to survive. Making their priorities clear, Evangelos Marinakis and company are opting to keep the faith for now.

Manchester United are now deadly serious about hijacking Chelsea’s move for an “incredible” £70m star, having identified him as a prime target for the January transfer window.

Man Utd looking to sign new midfielder amid Casemiro criticism

To say Man United are short on top-quality midfield options would perhaps be an understatement, with Ruben Amorim clearly not a fan of Kobbie Mainoo, given that the 20-year-old is still yet to start a Premier League match so far this season.

Casemiro, who is now set to exit Old Trafford, has also been slammed for some of his performances in recent weeks, with Wayne Rooney branding the Brazilian “silly” and “naive” after he got sent off at the end of the first half against Chelsea.

Near the end of the summer transfer window, ESPN commentator Ian Darke suggested Amorim needed to bolster his options in the engine room, but simply didn’t have the money available.

Darke named Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton as a suitable target for Man United, and according to a report from TEAMtalk, the midfielder has now been identified as a prime target for the January transfer window.

Indeed, it has been revealed that United are frontrunners in the race for Wharton’s signature, with INEOS deadly serious about hijacking Chelsea’s move for the Palace maestro, but a deal will be expensive.

Palace have slapped an asking price of at least £70m on the midfielder, who is likely to have no shortage of potential suitors, with Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool also named as interested parties, although the Red Devils are currently ahead of their two Premier League rivals.

"Incredible" Wharton would be statement signing for Man Utd

Man United proved they still have plenty of pulling power by beating Champions League Newcastle United to Benjamin Sesko’s signature in the summer, but their start to the campaign is unlikely to have done them any favours when it comes to luring the Palace star.

That said, if Amorim’s side were able to get a deal done, there is every indication the 21-year-old would be a fantastic addition, having received high praise from members of the media for his performances this season.

Man United focused on bringing in proven Premier League players in the previous window, and the Englishman fits the bill in that regard, having now made 42 top-flight appearances for the Eagles.

At around £70m, Wharton would be one of Man United’s most expensive ever signings, but there are clear signs he has what it takes to be a success at Old Trafford.

The demand Sean Dyche made “clear” in talks to take over as Nottingham Forest manager has now been revealed, as the Englishman closes in on a City Ground move.

Dyche agrees to take over as Nottingham Forest boss

Evangelos Marinakis has moved swiftly to replace Ange Postecoglou, who lost his job after the 3-0 defeat against Chelsea on Sunday, with it recently emerging that Dyche is set to take over as manager after holding positive talks.

The former Everton manager has a big job on his hands, given that he will be tasked with bringing a ten-game winless run in all competitions to an end, but the 54-year-old is used to working under pressure, having spent nearly two years working under difficult conditions at Goodison Park.

The Toffees had to deal with point deductions and a relegation battle during the Kettering-born manager’s stint on Merseyside, but he ultimately achieved his main goal, which was keeping the club in the Premier League.

That said, Everton ended up deciding the ex-Burnley boss wasn’t the right long-term fit, replacing him with David Moyes earlier this year, at which point his side were the second-lowest scorers in the top flight.

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As such, there was uncertainty about whether Forest were targeting Dyche as part of a long-term project, or merely to guide them to safety, but Ben Jacobs has now revealed the Englishman requested it be the former before he agreed to join.

Dyche needs to make instant impact at the City Ground

It is a little early for Forest fans to be panicking, but there will certainly be a great deal of concern about the way in which they have started the season, having collected just five points from their opening eight Premier League games.

After securing a long-awaited return to Europe last term, the Tricky Trees spent heavily in the summer, so Marinakis would’ve been hoping to kick on, but it has been nothing short of a shambles so far, with Nuno’s departure proving to be a real blow.

The Forest owner’s decision to sack Ange after just 39 days has received criticism, with Jamie Redknapp and Steve Sidwell discussing the move on Sky Sports, but any manager who fails to win any of his first eight games is likely to find himself under pressure.

With Dyche well-known for a more pragmatic style of play, Nottingham Forest will be hoping to get back to basics and start grinding out more results, starting against FC Porto in the Europa League on Thursday.