The latest Nottingham Forest news as the club await the decision of their Premier League points deduction appeal
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire says that it would be a ‘good result’ for Nottingham Forest if they were to reclaim two points as a result of their appeal to the Premier League.
The club saw four points struck from the record as a result of a breach of the top-flight’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) after submitting their 2022/23 accounts. It threw Forest back closer to the relegation mix – and they are still not guaranteed safety at this late stage in the campaign – so they immediately appealed the decision.
A hearing took place at the end of April and a verdict is expected in the near future. Whilst uncertainty remains, Maguire has given his verdict on the matter whilst reassuring that the club made a wise decision to employ lawyer Nick De Marco.
“If there’s one man that can come in on the 89th minute and get Nottingham Forest a result – it’s Nick De Marco,” he told Football Insider. “He is one of the best, if not the best sports lawyers in the country.
“I think if Forest got one or two points back from their appeal then they would consider that a good result. But it will require all of the persuasive talents of Forest’s legal team to achieve that given that the crux of the issue is Brennan Johnson’s transfer fee.”
The 22-year-old left the City Ground for Tottenham Hotspur in a £47.5m deal in September 2023 – three months after the cut-off for his transfer fee to be included in last year’s books. As an academy graduate, this money was pure profit for the club.
Maguire concluded: “On the face of it, it is an open and shut case.”
Forest are now three points clear of Luton Town, who occupy the final relegation spot, after beating Sheffield United on Saturday. Therefore Maguire’s take of a ‘good result’ would extend the gap to five points, with a maximum of six still to play for in the ongoing campaign.
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