Jota Silva reacts to Nottingham Forest announcement amid City Ground exit whispers
Nottingham Forest’s Jota Silva has reacted to some confirmed news from Nottingham Forest after rumours recently emerged that he could depart the City Ground this summer.
Forest exceeded all expectations and remained in the race for Champions League football until the final day of last season, eventually finishing in the Conference League places.
Former Everton chief Keith Wyness recently revealed to Football Insider that Nuno and owner Evangelos Marinakis will need to agree on selling some key men in the coming months, and they have already sold Anthony Elanga to Newcastle United this summer.
Portuguese winger Silva was not a mainstay in their starting eleven last term, but he certainly played his part in their success with four goals and three assists in 37 appearances after a £6million [The Athletic] move from Vitoria Guimaraes last summer.
His lack of starts last term could well push him to leave the club after just one season, however, with a recent report from Portuguese outlet O Jogo linking him with a move to Sporting CP, while Turkiye Gazetesi have claimed that Turkish giants Fenerbahce are lining up a loan-to-buy deal to secure his services.
Zach Abbott signs new Forest contract
Forest are aiming to cement their place within England’s elite, and they have handed out numerous new contracts in a bid to keep their best players this summer, with the likes of Matz Sels penning fresh terms and Ola Aina signing a new deal.
The Reds clearly have an eye on the future too, as they announced on Instagram on Wednesday (23 July) that young defender Zach Abbott had signed a new four-year contract extension, saying: “He’s one of our own. We’re delighted to announce that Zach Abbott has signed a new contract with the Club until the summer of 2029.”
England youth international Abbott made his sole 2024/25 appearance in the FA Cup semi-final against Man City in May, and the club’s announcement concerning his new deal was liked by Silva, with Aina, Neco Williams, Ryan Yates, Joe Worrall and Tyler Dibling among those that did the same.
Forest should keep Silva as European campaign beckons
Football Insider verdict
There is certainly a case to be made that Forest need all the continuity and consistency they can get from last season to the next, particularly in attack, considering they have already sold Elanga and Gibbs-White’s Tottenham saga shows no sign of ending.
Silva did not set the league alight in his debut season in the East Midlands, but he was always a handy, like-for-like option for Nuno Espirito Santo to bring on, and it would seem somewhat short-sighted to let him leave this summer.
| Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists |
| 37 | 8 | 4 | 3 |
The 25-year-old netted the joint most goals as a substitute by a Reds player in a Premier League season [BBC], with three strikes off the bench, and with Forest set to play in the Europa League due to Crystal Palace’s demotion, they will need a player like him to help with rotation, especially since he has European experience from his time at Vitoria.
It remains to be seen whether he leaves the club soon, but if he does, it would surely be due to his desire to depart rather than Nuno wanting him to leave.