Nottingham Forest face Arnaud Kalimuendo transfer call as instant exit looms
Arnaud Kalimuendo has struggled for form since joining Nottingham Forest but they should not be prepared to allow him to leave in the January window amid interest from abroad in his services.
Arnaud Kalimuendo netted 17 goals in 33 Ligue 1 appearances for Rennes last term, and was on the radar of numerous Premier League sides in the summer before he made the move to Nottingham Forest for £26million.
Reds fans will have been seriously excited about the 23-year-old’s impact on their side upon his arrival, but it has been tough going for him due to playing under three different managers so far.
He has scored once in 11 appearances up to now, with rumours emerging of a potential January departure just months after joining Forest as a result of his lack of opportunities.
Kalimuendo may not have been at his best this season, but Sean Dyche has to keep him as an option in his squad after some encouraging signs were shown in his recent performances.
AC Milan contact Forest for Kalimuendo deal with Roma also interested
Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport recently reported that Serie A giants Roma are interested in signing Kalimuendo on loan in January, with the Frenchman open to a move away from the City Ground.
Corriere (4 December) have now claimed that their direct league rivals AC Milan are also plotting a move for the 23-year-old, and they have “established contact” with Forest CEO Lina Souloukou about a possible deal in the new year.
Souloukou used to work in the same position at Roma, so they do hold an advantage in the race for Kalimuendo, while their current sporting director Ricky Massara has previously worked closely with the attacker during his time at Rennes too.
Roma want Man United’s Joshua Zirkzee in the new year, but that deal has stalled after he returned to Ruben Amorim’s thinking following numerous forward injuries.
Forest must not let Kalimuendo leave in January
Kalimuendo is still thought to be interested in a change of club due to a lack of minutes, yet his scoring pedigree and glimpses of talent shown this season mean that Forest must keep hold of him in the new year.
He has been a regular in France’s age-group squads over the years, and even helped their Olympic football team to a silver medal at the Paris games last summer in the midst of netting double figures for goals in each of his last two Ligue 1 seasons.
While he has not scored regularly in the league this season, it is not as if he is an anomaly among Forest’s strikers, with Igor Jesus striking once in 13 appearances, Taiwo Awoniyi failing to find the net and Chris Wood struggling for fitness.
Kalimuendo shone against Malmo last week as he notched his first goal for the club, and it would certainly seem short-sighted to sell him next month, all things considered.
It is clear that Dyche needs to give him more game-time to allow him to fully adjust to the Premier League though, and those minutes could see him prove his worth to the club and avoid needing to move away in January.