That was the predictable response from Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo when the subject of transfers came up in his pre-match press conference.
Attempts to pry any information from the Portuguese on the Reds’ pursuit of Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah have largely come to a dead end. It would never have been any other way – although one question in particular elicited a wry smile when the answer came.
The Inquisitor began: “I know you won’t be talking about a particular player who isn’t at Nottingham Forest Football Club.” Nuno quickly said, “Right, so why even ask?!”
But how can a 25-year-old, agile, fast no. 9 with a proven track record in the Premier League to complement the current squad, should such a player be available? But efforts to elicit even the slightest hint of an answer failed.
“I’ll have to see if it’s available. I don’t remember anything,” Nuno replied.
Some fans questioned whether spreading the numbers for Nketiah – both in terms of wages and transfer fees – would be money well spent. Not everyone seems convinced that he would be the right signing.
However, it costs money further. And Forest could really do with the competition and cover of Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi. Nketiah scored in the Premier League; although some supporters are unsure of its overall achievement.
Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix packages in an unbeatable new deal that saves you £216 and includes 1,400 live Premier League, EFL and more matches.
With Ultra HD included at no extra cost, football fans can enjoy the 2024/25 season in crystal clear picture quality.
Nuno knows as well as anyone that it’s stupid to talk about signing until it’s over the line. The transfer window is just over a week away and, as the Reds boss himself liked to point out ahead of Saturday’s visit to Southampton (3pm kick-off), anything can happen.
Predicting how the final days of the window will unfold is never easy. The City Ground hasn’t been averse to busy deadline days in the past.
So far this summer, the club’s transfer activities have been cautious and deliberate. On paper, they made some promising deals. The squad has been strengthened and Forest should end the window in a good position.
“So many things are happening. These last days of the window are usually when clubs are trying to fix the last details, so anything can happen. As a club we have to be ready to react in any situation,” said Nuno.
Danilo’s horrific injury against Bournemouth last weekend only highlighted how unexpected events can occur. The Reds have a well-stocked midfield, so the Brazilian’s absence is unlikely to change their transfer plans, but the point remains.
“Until the 30th – and we have two more games until then – we have to be ready for everything. I hope this (injury) doesn’t happen again,” Nuno said.
It’s also understandable that he wasn’t ready to assess the wardrobe as a whole until he knew the group he had to work with. Retaining star players is Forest’s priority in the coming days – and Nuno reiterated that point. Nevertheless, the basis for a good group exists.
“We are happy with the players that are already here,” Nuno said when asked about the strength of his squad. “The players who have joined have integrated very well, but it is not clear until the 30th. Then I will be able to answer this question properly because the window is not finished yet.”