He arrived at the City Ground with huge expectations but ultimately failed to deliver.
Nottingham Forest have made some questionable decisions in the transfer market in recent years, a huge contributing factor towards their recent PSR breach.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s side were hit with a four-point deduction following a breach and an overspend of £34.5m for the 2022/23 financial year – a tally that exceeded the allowed losses of £61m.
Signings of players such as Jonjo Shelvey and Emmanuel Dennis have undoubtedly been disasters – with the latter rejoining Watford on loan in January, the club the Reds signed the Nigerian forward from for a whopping £20m.
The club have been trying to repair the damage made by such additions, subsequently selling players such as Orel Mangala and Brennan Johnson, with the duo making the club over £75m alone with their respective transfer fees.
However, despite the recent influx of departures from the City Ground, Forest still employ numerous players who aren’t at the level required, with one set to leave on a permanent basis this summer after a loan move during 2023/24.
Remo Freuler’s stats at Nottingham Forest
After joining the club for £7.6m, midfielder Remo Freuler arrived in the East Midlands with big expectations following his time in Serie A with Atalanta.
The Switzerland international, who had been dubbed as the “conductor of the orchestra” by Il Giorno’s Fabrizio Carcano, was utilised at the base of the midfield by former boss Steve Cooper, looking to dictate the play for the Reds.
However, the pace of the English game compared to the Italian was evidently too much for Freuler, with the 32-year-old struggling to make any sort of positive impact during his 33 matches in the Garibaldi Red.
Whilst he managed an 80% pass completion rate in the Premier League last season, it wasn’t enough for him to secure another season in England with the Reds, subsequently joining Bologna on loan – a move that would see him return to his best.
| Top pass completion rate at Forest in the PL (2022/23) | |
|---|---|
| Player | Tally |
| Orel Mangala | 81% |
| Remo Freuler | 80% |
| Scott McKenna | 79% |
| Joe Worrall | 79% |
| Ryan Yates | 78% |
| Stats via FotMob | |
The loan stint included a £3.4m buy option, with the Serie A outfit taking it up, seeing Freuler return to Italy on a permanent basis – even competing in Champions League football next season, after Bologna finished in the top four under Thiago Motta.
However, despite the 32-year-old leaving to feature in the best club competition in football, the Reds made the right call in offloading him, saving a huge chunk of wages as a result of his permanent departure.
How much Remo Freuler earned at Nottingham Forest
Upon his arrival back in the summer of 2022, the midfielder penned a three-year deal on a reported £40k-per-week, as per Capology.
His weekly income saw him earn £2.1m alone during the 2022/23 season, with Bologna paying the entirety of his wage during his temporary stint in Italy this season.
The midfielder – who has been slammed for some “shocking” mistakes by Italian journalist Matteo Bonetti – cost the club a total of £9.7m during his one season at the City Ground – a huge factor in the club’s recent financial issues.
Whilst there’s no denying he’s capable of being a success in Serie A, he’s unfortunately not cut out for the Premier League, as demonstrated last term when he fell out of contention for the final months of the season.
Remo Freuler's first goal for Bologna: SPECTACULAR 💥#BolognaVerona pic.twitter.com/nLD6YIcLSP
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) February 24, 2024
The club may have lost some money on his transfer, but they’ve still received a fee and cleared out money off the wage bill, something that will undoubtedly help the Reds avoid any further PSR breaches in the coming months.
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