Credit: Imago

Harri Burton

Wed 29 April 2026 14:30, UK

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Nottingham Forest‘s Vitor Pereira already appears to be forging plans for when Chris Wood decides to hang up his boots at the City Ground.

The 2025-26 campaign has been a difficult one, not just for the Tricky Trees but also for the club’s 34-year-old centre-forward, who spent the majority of the season on the sidelines.

Requiring surgery on his knee, the New Zealand international returned earlier this month after picking up the injury all the way back in October, and his goals were greatly missed along the River Trent.

Forest signing Igor Jesus certainly softened the blow, but what most of the season has proven, with the Reds battling Premier League relegation, is that the team are far too reliant on Wood.

Chris Wood’s days could be numbered at the City Ground

The veteran netted in the recent 5-0 win over Sunderland, hitting the back of the net for the first time since the opening day of the campaign, and you could see how much it meant to him.

However, as the centre-forward only continues to get older, the Reds should be learning to rely on him less and less, and that appears to be what Pereira wants to achieve this summer.

Football Insider understands that Forest wants to target at least one new striker, with Pereira having a lot of success since switching to a 4-4-2 formation, and he plans to use it more next season.

Wood is likely to be joined by Jesus and Taiwo Awoniyi, but with Lorenzo Lucca returning to Napoli after a disappointing loan spell, a new centre-forward is exactly what the Reds need.

Who could fill the striker’s boots at Nottingham Forest?

There should be absolutely zero chance that Lucca is signed on a permanent deal, so Forest’s transfer chiefs need to be scouring the market for an option who can hit the ground running in England.

Forest have been linked with Youssef En-Nesyri, as well as Mehdi Taremi of Olympiacos, and either would be an incredible addition to the squad ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Wood is likely to give absolutely everything for the club until he runs out of steam, and at 34 years of age, that day could be a lot sooner than any supporters want to think about.

Had it not been for his injury, he might have recorded a third consecutive 10+ goal season at the City Ground, having netted 15 and 20 in back-to-back campaigns.