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Nottingham Forest will take transfer advice in this window from the man they sacked as head of recruitment more than a year ago.
George Syrianos was dismissed in October 2022 following a review of their summer transfer business conducted by owner Evangelos Marinakis and then-sporting director Filippo Giraldi. Following promotion to the Premier League the previous season, Forest signed 23 new players but collected only five points from their opening nine games prior to Syrianos’ sacking. Giraldi did not last long, spending six months in his role before leaving last April.
But Mail Sport understands that despite Syrianos leaving full-time employment, he began working closely again with Forest last summer and continues to play a role in recruitment via his company Fenida. On its website, Fenida says it provides ‘advanced football analysis’ and says it has clients in La Liga, the Bundesliga and the Champions League. Syrianos continues to attend matches at the City Ground and has been seen in the directors’ box.
Ross Wilson was appointed chief football officer last April and appointed former Southampton scouting chief Tom Stockwell to a senior recruitment role. Yet despite those changes Forest’s owners continue to lean on Syrianos.
Syrianos played a key role in identifying players in the Bundesliga in summer 2022. Although Taiwo Awoniyi, Orel Mangala and Moussa Niakhate struggled initially, Awoniyi and Mangala were mainstays of the side who avoided relegation last season under Steve Cooper, though Niakhate has had injury problems throughout his spell at Forest.
George Syrianos (left) is still an important transfer touchstone for Nottingham Forest, despite his sacking in 2022 and the appointment of Ross Wilson as chief football officer (right)
Taiwo Awoniyi was one of the players identified by Syrianos before his full-time departure
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis will continue to lean on…