Nottingham Forest can send statement of intent to Premier League rivals with Neco Williams agreement

Nottingham Forest can prove that they are planning for a much-improved 2026-27 campaign by tying Neco Williams to a new contract in the face of widespread interest in his services.

Williams still has three years left to run on his current contract at Forest, but they are planning to offer him an improved deal ahead of the summer transfer window.

His strong recent form at the City Ground has alerted several Premier League rivals to his potential availability after Forest’s disappointing league campaign.

Forest can prove that they are set to be a force again next term by agreeing a new deal with the 25-year-old to ward off those suitors.

Vitor Pereira will not want him to be involved in Forest’s transfer plans, so tying Williams to a new deal will also show that the board are prepared to back their manager this summer.

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BBC Sport‘s Sami Mokbel has revealed that Forest have opened discussions over an improved contract for Williams in the face of interest in his services.

The likes of Newcastle, Aston Villa, Manchester United and Everton have all reportedly enquired about his situation this summer, hence why the Reds are moving to tie him down to a new deal.

Williams signed a contract extension last summer to extend his time at the City Ground to 2029, insisting at the time that he was “really happy” at Forest and wanted to “create more memories” with their fans.

They have struggled in the league this season, but it can be looked upon as somewhat of an anomaly, given the quick turnover of managers compared to years gone by.

Their European pedigree was proven by making the Europa League semi-final, and the club certainly seems set up well to compete for trophies and more success in the years to come.

Forest were able to fend off interest in several key players last summer, but the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Murillo and Elliot Anderson could each be on their way out ahead of next season.

With that in mind, it is imperative that they tie Williams down to another contract ahead of the summer window to prove to their top flight rivals that they will not lie down and allow all of their top players to be poached easily.

The nature of Forest’s season has seen them put contract talks and transfer plans on the back burner until their Premier League status was confirmed for another season.

They are now officially safe, and so talks over new deals are bound to ramp up ahead of the summer window.

Sources have exclusively revealed to Football Insider that Forest are set to let Stefan Ortega leave when his short-term deal expires next month.

Ortega has impressed as an alternative to Matz Sels in the last few months, though, and would surely be ideal competition to the Belgian stopper for at least another season.

The Reds should tie him to a new deal, considering his strong performances in the Europa League and Pereira’s tendency to rotate his goalkeepers throughout the campaign.

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