Nottingham Forest in for Bayern Munich and Liverpool Fullbacks

Nottingham Forest are hoping to complete the signings of Bayern Munich’s Omar Richards and Liverpool’s Neco Williams, as per David Ornstein of The Athletic.

The club’s adamant to agree to deals for the pair by the weekend, as head coach Steve Cooper looks to bolster his wing-back options ahead of Forest’s first season back in the Premier League since 1999.

Cooper regularly deploys his team with a three-man defence at the back and with the recent departure of Djed Spence, who played a crucial part down the right flank throughout their promotion charge and has now returned to his parent club, the back line will need strengthening to compete with some of the best clubs in England.

What Experience Would the Signings Bring to Nottingham Forest?

This is where 21-year-old Neco Williams would come into play; the Welsh international has a plethora of experience at the highest level despite his young age. Sadly, he will always struggle to cement his place in Liverpool’s starting eleven with Trent Alexander-Arnold leading the pecking order season after season.

Williams has been used in both domestic and European competitions at Anfield and is a regular starter for his national team, more recently helping Wales to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1958. He spent the second half of the 21/22 season on loan at Fulham.

Forest’s right-hand side options defensively are also sparse ahead of the upcoming campaign, and Cooper has set his sights on 24-year-old Richards. The Englishman left Reading in 2021 to join the German giants and made 12 appearances in the Bundesliga last season.

However, with World Cup winner Lucas Hernandez back from injury and Alphonso Davies given the green light to return to first-team football, a move away could be the most suitable option for the defender – and game time is almost guaranteed in Nottingham.

Nottingham Forest Incomings So Far:

The Midlands side have made moves elsewhere in the transfer window with the addition of striker Taiwo Awoniyi from Union Berlin, French defender Guilian Biancone and Manchester United’s Dean Henderson on a season-long loan, to fill the goalkeeper role after fan-favourite Brice Samba left the club for Ligue 1 side, Lens.

Forest were also able to cling onto prolific winger Brennan Johnson, who had garnered interest from the likes of Tottenham, Newcastle, Leeds and Leicester City.

The 21-year-old had made his intentions of staying loyal to his boyhood club clear though and signed a bumper four-year contract, after saying it was his dream to represent Forest in the top-flight – having been at the club since he was eight.

Johnson contributed 19 goals and ten assists to help see his team ultimately crowned play-off winners and will be eager to prove himself again as one of the finest young players in a division of top talents.