Nottingham Forest have enjoyed a phenomenal rise in recent years, with the Reds returning to the Premier League in 2022 after a 23-year absence.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis has splashed the cash at the City Ground on numerous signings and parted ways with multiple managers, however, in recent years, Forest have also received big fees for some star players.
Here is a look at Nottingham Forest’s biggest departures of all time, with a detailed look at the top 10.
Rank
Player
Sold to
Year
Fee
Anthony Elanga
Newcastle
2025
Brennan Johnson
Tottenham
2024
Moussa Niakhate
Lyon
2024
Danilo
Botafogo
2025
Odysseas Vlachodimos
Newcastle
2024
Orel Mangala
Lyon
2024
Britt Assombalonga
Middlesbrough
2017
Matty Cash
Aston Villa
2020
Oliver Burke
RB Leipzig
2016
Ramon Sosa
Palmeiras
2025
Andrew Omobamidele
Strasbourg
2025
Stan Collymore
Liverpool
1995
Arvin Appiah
UD Almeria
2019
Ben Brereton Diaz
Blackburn
2019
Michail Antonio
West Ham
2015
Matt Turner
Lyon
2025
Steve Stone
Aston Villa
1999
Jermaine Jenas
Newcastle
2002
Joe Worrall
Burnley
2024
Sam Surridge
Nashville SC
2023
10 Ramon Sosa £10m to Palmeiras, 2025
Ramon Sosa’s stay at Nottingham Forest was short and sweet, arriving before the 2024/25 season from Argentine outfit CA Talleres.
Sosa only played 550 minutes worth of football with the Reds before heading back to South America, this time in Brazil with Palmeiras.
9 Oliver Burke £13m to RB Leipzig, 2016
Oliver Burke has played for a number of different clubs since leaving Nottingham Forest in 2016, but it was at the City Ground where he came through as a teenager.
A product of the club’s academy, Burke impressed so much in the Championship that Bundesliga side RB Leipzig were happy to pay £13m for the attacker’s signature.
8 Matty Cash £14m to Aston Villa, 2020
Matty Cash was a winger before transforming into a star right-back, and he made 141 appearances for Nottingham Forest after coming through the academy.
Now a Poland international and an Aston Villa star, Cash has played in the Champions League for the Villans, making a £14m deal in 2020 look a bargain.
7 Britt Assombalonga £15m to Middlesbrough, 2017
During Nottingham Forest’s days stuck in the Championship, Britt Assombalonga was a shining light at the City Ground and starred for the club after joining from Peterborough.
The DR Congo striker scored 30 goals in 69 Forest appearances, which resulted in Middlesbrough breaking their transfer record to sign him in 2017.
6 Orel Mangala £20m to Lyon, 2024
Midfielder Orel Mangala arrived in the Midlands in 2022 from German side Stuttgart and spent two seasons with Nottingham Forest, making more than 50 appearances.
He was sold to Lyon in 2024, however, the Belgium international swiftly returned to England by joining Everton on loan.
5 Odysseas Vlachodimos £20m to Newcastle, 2024
Odysseas Vlachodimos played just five Premier League games for Nottingham Forest, so some may see it as a shock that Newcastle paid £20m to sign the goalkeeper in 2024.
In a deal that saw Elliot Anderson move to the City Ground for £15m, Vlachodimos headed to St James’ Park to help both clubs balance their books. Forest certainly got the better deal.
4 Danilo £21.7m to Botafogo, 2025
Defensive midfielder Danilo contributed to 10 goals in 62 appearances during his two-year stay at the City Ground, and it was a slight surprise that Nottingham Forest were willing to sell the Brazilian.
He was a regular for the Reds but headed back to his native country with Botafogo, with Forest making a slight profit in the process.
3 Moussa Niakhate £27m to Lyon, 2024
Nottingham Forest spent an initial £8.6m on defender Moussa Niakhate in 2022, so when they sold the Senegal international two years later, they were in line for an eye-catching profit.
Lyon paid a reported £27m for the centre-back, who left the City Ground after making just 37 appearances in all competitions.
2 Brennan Johnson £47.5m to Tottenham, 2024
Academy graduate Brennan Johnson’s first full season as a Nottingham Forest first team player saw him star in the club’s promotion to the Premier League.
After another impressive season in the top flight, Tottenham decided to splash the cash on deadline day in 2024. Spurs paid £47.5m for the Wales international to boost the club’s FFP position.
1 Anthony Elanga £52m to Newcastle, 2025
Top of the charts as Nottingham Forest’s record sale is winger Anthony Elanga, who joined the club from Manchester United in a deal worth just £15m in 2023.
He starred in two seasons at the City Ground which resulted in Newcastle paying more than £50m for the Sweden international.
