adminNottingham Forest must rue selling £5m striker who’s now outscoring Mateta
Nottingham Forest’s 2025/26 Premier League season has been blighted by a chronic lack of goals, a problem that has played a major role in dragging the club into a tense relegation fight.
After 24 league matches, Forest have managed just 24 goals, an alarming return that underlines their struggles in the final third.
Attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White is the club’s leading scorer with six goals, highlighting how little threat has come from the recognised strikers.
Remarkably, no centre-forward has scored more than twice in the league so far this season.
Last season’s key man Chris Wood remains sidelined after undergoing knee surgery, while Igor Jesus and Taiwo Awoniyi have combined for just three top-flight goals.
The lack of firepower has been one of the biggest challenges facing Sean Dyche since taking charge, with the Forest boss constantly searching for solutions to revive his side’s attacking output.
In January, the club moved to address the issue by bringing Lorenzo Lucca to the City Ground, hoping the Italian forward could spark an improvement. However, Lucca was not the only attacking option Forest explored during the winter window.
How close Forest came to signing Jean-Philippe Mateta
As part of their search for a proven goalscorer, Forest identified Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta as a prime target.
The French forward had made it clear he wanted to leave Selhurst Park during the January window and even submitted a transfer request in an attempt to force through a move.
Forest responded with a bid believed to be around £35 million, but the offer fell short of Palace’s valuation, which was closer to £40 million.
Despite that, Mateta had reportedly agreed personal terms with Dyche’s side, putting Forest in a strong position to land the striker.
However, the situation took a dramatic turn when AC Milan entered the race. The Italian giants quickly moved ahead, agreeing terms with Mateta and arranging a medical.
Ultimately, the deal collapsed after a knee issue was discovered during medical checks, leaving Forest empty-handed and still short of attacking reinforcements.
Former Forest striker thriving after departure
Given the level of speculation around new forwards in January, Forest supporters were left frustrated by the lack of additions before the deadline. Lucca is yet to make his debut, and his limited Premier League experience makes him something of a gamble.
It also remains unclear whether Dyche will trust him as a regular starter or continue to rely on Igor Jesus to lead the line.
There is little doubt Mateta would have represented a clear upgrade on Forest’s current striking options.
The Frenchman has already scored eight league goals this season, a tally that would comfortably make him Forest’s most dangerous attacker.
Yet, in hindsight, the club’s decision to let former striker Sam Surridge leave may prove to be an even bigger mistake.
Surridge joined Forest from Stoke City for around £2 million in January 2022 and went on to make 50 appearances for the club, scoring 11 goals in an 18-month spell.
He played an important role in helping Forest secure promotion back to the Premier League, but under Steve Cooper he often found himself on the fringes during their first season back in the top flight.
In 2023, Surridge completed a £5 million move to MLS side Nashville SC, a transfer that now looks incredibly cheap given his subsequent form.
Since moving to the United States, the 27-year-old has made 88 appearances for Nashville, scoring an astonishing 51 goals.
His most recent MLS season was particularly eye-catching, as he netted 31 times in 40 matches, bettered only by Lionel Messi.
Surridge’s numbers since leaving the City Ground have been nothing short of phenomenal. Over the last 18 months, he has scored nine more goals than Mateta, whose total in that period stands at 22.
His clinical finishing has drawn widespread praise, with Nashville teammate Daniel Lovitz describing him as a “really dangerous guy to play against” after a hat-trick in a 3-2 win over New England Revolution.
With Forest desperately short of goals, Surridge has shown exactly the kind of cutting edge that could help lift them out of trouble.
The club hierarchy may now be deeply regretting their decision to sanction his departure, as his prolific form continues to underline what they have lost.
In hindsight, the £5 million fee Forest received for Surridge looks like a bargain for Nashville and a costly misstep for the Reds.
As the season reaches its decisive stages, that decision could yet come back to haunt them in their fight for Premier League survival.
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