Nottingham Forest look set to keep Arnaud Kalimuendo beyond the end of the transfer window after impressing in pre-season. The attacker spent the second half of last term on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt after finding it tough to pin down a starting spot at the City Ground following his switch from Rennes 12 months ago. The German side held an option to make his move a permanent one and have been keen to sign him - but for a lower fee than originally negotiated.
It has all gone rather quiet on that front, with Kalimuendo having taken his opportunity to catch the eye of new head coach Oliver Glasner in the meantime. The Reds boss says, as things stand, the 24-year-old is likely to remain at the City Ground for the upcoming campaign.
“Kalimuendo is our second best scorer in pre-season, after Igor Jesus,” Glasner said ahead of Saturday’s Premier League opener at home to Leeds United (3pm kick-off). “So that’s why our goal is to keep him.
“Everything I say today could be wrong tomorrow. If a massive offer comes in and he says to me, ‘gaffer, I want to leave’ then probably we will find a solution. But today, the intention is that he stays here.”
Kaluendo penned a five-year deal with Forest when he completed a £26 million move from France last summer. He found regular game time difficult to come by in the Garibaldi and made just nine substitute appearances in the Premier League in 2025/26.
There is a question mark over whether he is seen as someone capable of leading the line for the Reds. However, his versatility provides Glasner with a different option as the Austrian looks to get off to a strong start.
Forest hope to bring in a forward before the transfer window closes at 11pm on September 1. Following the departure of Taiwo Awoniyi to Coventry City, Jesus and Chris Wood will compete with Kalimuendo for a spot in Glasner’s side.
