Arnaud Kalimuendo looks increasingly likely to stay at Nottingham Forest after making the most of his chance during pre-season.
The 24-year-old had looked like one of the players who could leave the City Ground this summer after spending the second half of last season on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt. The German club were interested in keeping him, but their valuation fell short of the terms originally agreed.
That has left Kalimuendo back at Forest, and he hasn’t wasted the opportunity.
Arnaud Kalimuendo has changed his situation
Kalimuendo has caught the attention of new head coach Oliver Glasner during Forest’s preparations for the new campaign.
Glasner was asked about the striker ahead of Saturday’s Premier League opener against Leeds United, and his answer was pretty clear.
“Kalimuendo is our second best scorer in pre-season, after Igor (Jesus),” Glasner said. “So that’s why our goal is to keep him.
“Everything I say today could be wrong tomorrow. If a massive offer comes in and he says to me, ‘gaffer, I want to leave’ then probably we will find a solution. But today, the intention is that he stays here.”
That gives Kalimuendo a good chance of remaining part of Forest’s plans.
Things were very different for him last season. After arriving from France in a £26m deal, he struggled to establish himself in the team and made only nine Premier League appearances, all from the bench.
The loan move to Frankfurt followed, with the Bundesliga club retaining an option to sign him permanently.
They haven’t disappeared from the picture, but the situation has changed.
Nottingham Forest now see a role for the Frenchman
Kalimuendo’s form has made the decision more difficult for any club interested in taking him away from the City Ground.
The five-year deal he signed when joining Forest means the club have him tied down for a long time, while Glasner now appears to have a reason to keep him around.
His pre-season goals have helped him move up the pecking order, and he has given the Forest boss something to think about before the Leeds game.
The match can be followed on the Dave Premier League 2026/27 season updates.
There is still a slight limitation. Glasner made it clear that a major offer could change things, especially if Kalimuendo himself wanted to move on.
For now, though, that doesn’t seem to be the direction things are heading.
Forest’s focus is on the new season, and Kalimuendo appears to have done enough over the summer to earn another chance. After a difficult first year and a loan spell in Germany, he could now get the opportunity to show why Forest spent £26m to sign him in the first place.
