The summer transfer window has officially slammed shut, leaving Premier League clubs to live with their squads until January. For Nottingham Forest, the final days of the window were a whirlwind of activity under Oliver Glasner, culminating in the arrivals of five new faces: Xaver Schlager, Ousmane Diomande, Liam Delap, Daniel Munoz, and third-choice goalkeeper Steven Benda.
Yet, even with a flurry of business that saw the Reds heavily back their manager following an encouraging start to the season—including a hard-fought draw against Liverpool at Anfield—one major piece of transfer strategy has left supporters scratching their heads.
While Forest were busy planning for the horizon, news broke that a £17 million deal has been struck for Colombian midfielder Gustavo Puerta. But rather than heading straight to the East Midlands to bolster Glasner’s engine room, Puerta has been snapped up by the Marinakis Group and dispatched on a season-long loan to Greek giants Olympiacos.
It’s a move that has sparked an obvious, pressing question: If Forest secured his signature for next summer anyway, why on earth didn’t they bring him to the City Ground right now?
A Frustrated Search for Midfield Reinforcements
The timing of the Puerta arrangement feels particularly ironic given how Forest spent the closing weeks of the window. With the club desperately hunting for a marquee midfielder to adequately replace Elliot Anderson, technical chiefs pushed right up until the deadline.
However, late eleventh-hour pursuits for young targets like Harrison Armstrong and Trey Nyoni ultimately hit a wall, leaving Forest short of that specific central profile they coveted.
Given those failed eleventh-hour bids, the decision to allow a ready-made, highly capable midfielder like Puerta to detour through Greece rather than stepping straight into the Premier League creates a genuinely perplexing narrative. The 23-year-old is no raw academy prospect; he arrives with serious pedigree, having put together an impressive campaign on loan at Racing Santander last season where he netted three goals in 26 appearances. Moreover, he already boasts 11 senior international caps for Colombia, proving he can handle high-stakes environments.
The Squad Dynamic: Could Puerta Have Added Immediate Value?
Looking at Glasner’s current midfield options, there is an undeniable argument that a player of Puerta’s profile could have immediately eased squad depth concerns.
At present, Glasner relies heavily on Xaver Schlager, James McAtee, and Ibrahim Sangare as his primary central three. While established squad members like Nicolas Dominguez and Ryan Yates offer reliable industry, they are largely viewed as backup options rather than transformative starters.
Had Puerta arrived at the City Ground immediately, he could have spent the current campaign quietly learning the frantic, physical ropes of the Premier League under Glasner’s tutelage, acclimating to English football ahead of a full-scale breakout in the 2027/28 season. Instead, Forest fans will have to track his progress from afar as he cuts his teeth in the Greek Super League under the multi-club umbrella.
Hindsight Will Be the Ultimate Judge
There is no doubt that Nottingham Forest’s recruitment team has operated with an eye toward sustainable, long-term success. Securing a 23-year-old international of Puerta’s caliber for £17 million is smart business on paper, and the Marinakis Group’s multi-club pathway has proven effective in developing talent.
However, leaving a glaring hole in the midfield rotation while parking a ready-to-contribute star in Piraeus creates an avoidable debate. Forest supporters will undoubtedly keep a close eye on how Puerta performs in Greece over the next ten months.
Whether Glasner’s decision to let him bake for a full year before heading to the Premier League looks like a masterstroke or a missed opportunity come next May remains to be seen. For now, the Reds must march forward with their current squad, hoping the engine room has enough fuel to navigate a gruelling campaign.
