Oliver Glasner’s arrival at Nottingham Forest has injected a sense of optimism into the fanbase that they are on the right path to success, given his time in charge at Crystal Palace.
The Austrian will need time if he is to be successful at the City Ground, with the hierarchy needing to back him in his quest for silverware in the near future.
With the transfer window coming to a close later this evening, the Reds are thought to be in the market for another midfielder – with the manager on the hunt for his next central superstar.
How Forest can hand Glasner his next Wharton
As part of his successful period as Palace manager, Glasner utilised his preferred 3-4-2-1 system, with Englishman Adam Wharton often starring at the heart of the side.
The 22-year-old was the pace-setter in the middle of the park, often tasked with dictating the play and allowing those ahead of him to create magic in the final third.
As a result, he’s constantly been touted with big-money moves away from Selhurst Park, with the player having Glasner to thank for his rapid development in recent seasons.
The most recent option for the Austrian to use during his time at the City Ground would have been Elliot Anderson, but the midfielder departed before he took the reins in the East Midlands.
As a result, English attacking midfielder James McAtee has since been dropped into a deeper role to try and emulate the impact of Wharton in the manager’s system.
The former Manchester City man produced his best display in a Reds shirt during the 2-2 draw with Liverpool and undoubtedly staked his claim for a regular starting role in front of the back three.
|
James McAtee – stats against Liverpool |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics |
Tally |
|
Minutes played |
89 |
|
Passes completed |
24 |
|
Touches |
54 |
|
Chances created |
1 |
|
Defensive contributions |
8 |
|
Link-breaking passes |
8 |
|
Ball recoveries made |
5 |
|
Fouls won |
2 |
However, the hierarchy appear to be lining up additional reinforcements before the window slams shut to further bolster the manager’s squad for the 2026/27 campaign.
How Forest can secure a £17m signing before the deadline
Over recent weeks, a handful of different midfielders have been touted with moves to join Forest, but as of yet no deals have been agreed with less than 12 hours remaining in the window.
The likes of Trey Nyoni, Harrison Armstrong and Lucas Bergvall have all been credited with moves, but the Reds have had offers rejected for all three of the aforementioned talents.
However, the name of Gustavo Puerta has been mentioned extensively in recent days, with a deal seemingly progressing in the right direction ahead of the deadline.
It’s been reported by journalist Julian Capera that Forest have agreed to trigger the player’s release clause, with the Colombian international penning a deal until 2030.
He also claims that the Racing Santander star is set to fly to the UK for a medical in the coming hours, before joining sister club Olympiacos on loan for the 2026/27 campaign.
A fee in the region of £17m has been mentioned for the midfielder, who featured at the recent World Cup for his nation alongside new addition Daniel Muñoz.
Despite spending the current campaign away from the City Ground, there is hope that the 23-year-old can be Glasner’s next version of Wharton in the East Midlands.
His stats from his last season in Spain demonstrate his quality at the heart of the side, with Puerta having all the tools to emulate the success of the Englishman.
The Colombian managed to register an impressive 90% pass completion rate last term, a figure which subsequently ranked him in the top 8% of all midfielders in Europe.
Such a figure showcases his ability to dictate the play from a deep-lying position, just as Englishman Wharton did under Glasner’s guidance at Selhurst Park.
The Racing Santander man is most comfortable in possession, as demonstrated by his average of 82 touches of the ball per 90 – also placing him in the top 4% of players on the continent.
However, without the ball, Puerta seems just as capable, as the 23-year-old managed to register 1.2 interceptions and 6.4 ball recoveries made per 90 last term.
His box-to-box nature could make him an excellent long-term project for the Reds in their hunt to hand Glasner the tools he craves to make the club a dominant force.
He needs a player of Wharton’s calibre at the heart of the side to achieve such a goal, with the pending move for Puerta one that makes sense given the bargain fee he’s available for.
