Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper could now look to open talks with another of his star men at the City Ground over a new contract, according to reports.
What's the latest news involving Nottingham Forest?
Last week, Nottingham Forest club captain Joe Worrall put pen to paper on a contract extension with the Tricky Trees, which will now see him stay at the East Midlands-based outfit until the summer of 2026.
Delighted with his decision, Worrall told Nottingham Forest's official website: "I’m over the moon and just so pleased to extend my time with the club. You only have to look to the future and it looks very bright. Everybody knows how much we care to try and improve as a team and try and push on as a club."
Football Insider claim that Worrall has received a significant pay rise from his previous £15,000 per week terms at Nottingham Forest and also indicate that the former England Under-21 international had interest in his services from elsewhere in the summer.
Worrall had less than a year left on his deal at the City Ground and would've been able to sign a pre-contract with a foreign club in January had he not found an extended agreement with his boyhood club.
Meanwhile, as per reports in Sweden, Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga has been released from Sweden's international camp after sustaining an injury in training and played no part in their 5-0 victory over Estonia in EURO 2024 qualifying.
The former Manchester United star will now return to England to undergo treatment for his knock and it is unclear how long he will be out for upon further assessment.
Who else could be offered a new contract?
According to Football Insider, Nottingham Forest are considering offering full-back Serge Aurier a new contract, which would come off the back of a strong start to the 2023/34 campaign from the Ivory Coast international.
The £50k-a-week ace is out of contract next summer and could discuss a pre-contract with foreign sides in January; however, he has enjoyed a rise to prominence under Reds' boss Cooper despite competing with Ola Aina and Gonzalo Montiel for the right-back position.
Aurier has made four appearances in all competitions for Nottingham Forest this term and has managed to notch two assists in the process, as per Transfermarkt.
WhoScored note that Aurier has managed to earn an average match rating in the Premier League this campaign of 7.01/10 and show that he has successfully completed 3.5 clearances per match, demonstrating his defensive reliability when called upon.
As per FBRef, the former Tottenham Hotspur defender has also excelled in comparison to his positional peers across the top five divisions in Europe in the art of aerial duels, winning an average of 2.21 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the 98th percentile for this metric.
Cooper won't want to lose someone like Aurier on a free transfer next year and offering him a new deal would be a sensible decision to retain some valuable experience at the City Ground.