Sometimes a farewell tells you as much about a club as a goal-scoring run does. Taiwo Awoniyi’s send-off at the City Ground on Sunday was emotional, but it also underlined a practical truth: Nottingham Forest are moving on from a forward who once looked central to their attack, and now looks set for a fresh start at Coventry City.
The guard of honour at half-time came only a day after Forest beat Coventry City 2-0 behind closed doors, and it followed a final pre-season outing in which Forest also beat Brest 2-0 at the City Ground. Those results matter less for the sentiment than for the shape of the squad that is now taking form. Forest are heading into their fifth consecutive season in the top flight, and the Awoniyi departure is part of that recalibration.
A player who still matters to Forest's recent story
Awoniyi’s Forest legacy is easy to define and harder to replace in emotional terms. In 2022-23, he scored 10 Premier League goals for Nottingham Forest, a return that gave the club a real focal point in attack. But over the past two seasons, he started only six Premier League games, which tells the fuller story: the role shrank, even if the reputation and the dressing-room presence remained.
That is why Sunday’s farewell felt significant. Supporters, team-mates, staff and players all acknowledged him at half-time, and the moment worked as a reminder that transfers are not just accounting exercises. They are also about what a player represented while he was there. Awoniyi gave Forest a reliable scoring spell at a crucial stage, and that should not be erased by the later reduction in minutes.
What his exit means for the squad
From a football point of view, the move also opens room for Nottingham Forest to act. Oliver Glasner still hopes to add two or three players before the window closes, and Liam Delap remains among the attacking possibilities. That matters because Forest already have options up front, with Chris Wood and Igor Jesus both in the picture, and the manager has made clear he likes a 3-4-2-1 shape with two No 10 roles. In that system, the balance of the front line matters as much as the raw number of strikers.
Glasner’s comments around the attack were instructive. He pointed to Chris and Igor, noting that Igor had scored in almost every pre-season game apart from Barcelona, while Chris’s physical presence has been obvious. He also praised a ruthless penalty and stressed that Forest have two strong strikers, while other players are contributing goals too. That is not the language of a club scrambling for one saviour. It is the language of a team trying to shape its attack with more than one route to goal.
So Awoniyi’s farewell is both a goodbye and a signpost. He leaves behind a spell that included 10 league goals, but also a period in which starts became scarce. Coventry City, meanwhile, gain a forward with Premier League experience and a clear point to prove. For Forest, the departure creates space for the next move, and maybe for one of the two or three additions Glasner still wants before the window closes.
