Nottingham Forest haven't been shy of a transfer or two since the club's promotion back to the Premier League under Steve Cooper in May 2022.
Since defeating Huddersfield Town in the play-off final at Wembley, the Reds have made 34 new additions, with owner Evangelos Marinakis investing over £200m to the playing squad – giving the club the best chance of maintaining their Premier League status.
Whilst the club achieved the goal of survival with a game to spare last season, the club had wasted a lot of money on transfer fees and wages with some players not meeting expectations at the City Ground.
Jonjo Shelvey joined the Reds in January 2023 for an undisclosed fee, with the former Newcastle United man eventually being released in order to pursue a move to Turkey.
Nottingham Forest's starting XI if they never achieved promotion in 2022
The club gained promotion to the Premier League in the 2021/22 season.
ByEthan Lamb
He wasn't the only player who joined the club with high expectations, with another experienced Premier League midfielder also looking past his best in England's top flight.
Cheikhou Kouyate's stats at Nottingham Forest
After arriving on a free transfer from fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace during the summer of 2022, Cheikhou Kouyate was brought in to provide needed Premier League experience to a relatively inexperienced Forest side.
The 34-year-old agreed a two-year deal upon his arrival at the City Ground, with Kouyate looking to have one final stint in the Premier League.
During his first season at the club, the midfielder made 21 appearances in the league – with the Senegalese international starting just seven times.
This season he's taken up a bit part role at the club, making ten appearances. However, he's found starts even harder to come by with just two during the duration of the 2023/24 campaign, with both coming under former boss Cooper.
With his contract expiring at the end of the current season, it looks unlikely he will be offered a new deal – especially considering the amount of money the midfielder earns per week.
How much Cheikhou Kouyate earns at Nottingham Forest
The deal to bring Kouyate to the City Ground saw the club fork out £45k-per-week on the midfielder, with the former Palace man originally one of the club's highest earners after promotion.
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During his time at the club, the 34-year-old has currently earned £3.7m in wages – with Kouyate in line to take home another £900k before the end of his deal in June.
His weekly wage at Forest is higher than many current starting players, with Anthony Elanga the biggest name on the list.
Andrew Omobamidele
£35k-p/w
Nicolas Dominguez
£35k-p/w
Danilo
£30k-p/w
Murillo
£30k-p/w
Ryan Yates
£25k-p/w
Anthony Elanga
£25k-p/w
Players such as Ryan Yates and Brazilian pair Murillo and Danilo both earn less than Kouyate – with the first team members earning £25k-per-week and £30k-per-week respectively.
Undoubtedly, at the time the deal to bring the Senegalese player to the City Ground was a no-brainer. However, it's clear to see he's not up to the level required for the Premier League with the club needing to offload him this summer.
