Two Nottingham Forest signings from 2022 could be about to leave the club having never played a single game for the club. Hwang Ui-jo and Josh Bowler could both be leaving the City Ground this summer as the Reds reshape their squad ahead of next season.
Both players were added in the summer transfer window of last year. Upon their arrival, however, they were both farmed out to sister club Olympiacos on season-long loans instead of joining up with the Forest squad.
The decision to loan both players out proved a poor one. Neither player featured much in Greece, with both players heading back to Forest after just six months.
For the second half of the season, Hwang joined FC Seoul, whilst Bowler re-joined Blackpool. Again, both players struggled to get going and ultimately they’re out of sorts.
Now, with Forest preparing for another season in the Premier League they could be deemed surplus, according to The Athletic. Hwang is now 30 and his signing perhaps looks the most peculiar.
Bowler’s signing did make sense somewhat. Had Forest been relegated, he would have been a proven Championship performer for the Reds to work with for next season.
At 24-years-old, the winger still has time on his side to improve. Another loan for him would make sense and perhaps then Forest can make a proper decision on his future in 12 months time.
Two Forest signings could leave having never played a game
It’s fair to say that Forest’s recruitment isn’t quite mastered just yet. In recent years, it’s become more meticulous but there is still work to do, with Hwang and Bowler examples of that.
The signing of Hwang is just pure bizarre. His goalscoring record with Bordeaux in France is modest at best and given his age, it was always unlikely he’d make much of an impact.
It’s no slight on these two players. Moving to Forest would have been seen as a big thing for the players. However, now it looks as though their futures could lie elsewhere.
