Nottingham Forest must wish their £4m star never left the City Ground
He left Nottingham Forest for £4m during the summer of 2022.
The 2021/22 season will live long in the memory of Nottingham Forest fans as the club ended their 23-year exile from the Premier League, defeating Huddersfield Town at Wembley thanks to a Levi Colwill own goal.
Steve Cooper took over from Chris Hughton after the former Brighton boss was sacked following six defeats and one draw in the opening seven Championship encounters.
The former Swansea boss completed a remarkable turnaround in leading the Reds to the Premier League, after taking over the side who were bottom of England’s second tier.
The promotion campaign saw the emergence of multiple favourites among the Forest faithful, including the likes of loanees Djed Spence, Keinan Davis and James Garner.
However, one player cemented his status as a legend at the club after his performance in the play-off semi-final, which allowed the Reds to subsequently get to Wembley and gain promotion.
How much Nottingham Forest paid for Brice Samba
The Reds agreed a deal to sign French shot-stopper Brice Samba from Ligue 1 side Caen back in the summer of 2019 for an undisclosed fee in the region of just £1.8m.
Samba became the Reds’ third first-team ‘keeper after Aro Muric and Luke Steele, with the Frenchman initially being second choice behind the Manchester City loanee.
However, the Marseille goalkeeper quickly impressed at the City Ground, becoming the Reds’ number one under Sabri Lamouchi, in a season where the club infamously missed out on the play-offs on the final day.
He retained his number-one position throughout the next couple of years at the club, going on to make 125 appearances during his time on Trentside.
| Brice Samba: Debut starting XI |
|---|
| Nottingham Forest 1-0 Fleetwood (League Cup) |
| GK – Brice Samba |
| RB – Carl Jenkinson |
| CB – Joe Worrall |
| CB – Tobias Figuiredo |
| LB – Yuri Ribeiro |
| CM – Samba Sow |
| CM – John Bostock |
| CM – Tiago Silva |
| RW – Arvin Appiah |
| LW – Sammy Ameobi |
| ST – Rafa Mir |
Arguably, his most impressive display at the club came in his penultimate game during the play-off semi-final victory over Sheffield United. Samba made three crucial saves during normal and extra time, before making himself a hero during the penalty shootout.
He saved spot kicks from Oliver Norwood, Conor Hourihane and now Forest player Morgan Gibbs-White, sending the club to the new Wembley for the first time since it was built in 2007.
Brice Samba’s transfer value in 2024
After the play-off triumph, Samba departed the City Ground, with the Frenchman wanting to return to his homeland, subsequently joining Lens for a deal in the region of £4m. His form for the French side saw them clinch a Champions League spot ahead of this season, a real highlight of his impact in Ligue 1.
Nearly two years on from his departure, Samba’s market value has soared to £24m – as per Football Transfers – with the Reds wishing they held onto the elite-level shot-stopper.
The Reds have struggled to replace Samba, with players such as Dean Henderson and Keylor Navas temporarily filling the void – with the pair both returning to their parent clubs last summer. The club invested £20m in the goalkeeping department during the summer, with Matt Turner and Odysseas Vlachodimos joining from Arsenal and Benfica respectively.
Neither have managed to nail down the number one position at the City Ground, with the club desperately missing Samba’s shot-stopping and distribution ability. Now, they rely on Matz Sels who joined in the recent January transfer window.
