Nottingham Forest Sign Daniel Muñoz from Crystal Palace
Nottingham Forest have landed Daniel Muñoz from Crystal Palace in a deal worth up to £22m, a late-window move that reshapes both clubs’ right flank and hints at wider plans on Trentside and in south London.
The Colombia international signs a three-year contract at the City Ground, with an option for a fourth, and walks straight into familiar territory. He is reunited with Oliver Glasner, the coach who trusted him at Palace and helped turn him into a key figure in last season’s Conference League and FA Cup triumphs.
For Forest, it is a statement signing in a position that has needed authority and energy. For Palace, it is smart business.
They paid £8.5m to bring Muñoz from Genk in January 2024. After less than a year of service, they bank a healthy profit and move on quickly, having already signed Anan Khalaili from Union Saint-Gilloise to open the door for Muñoz’s exit.
Forest reload, but Henderson off limits
Muñoz may not be the last new face at Forest before the window shuts, but one target has been firmly taken off the table.
Forest have tested Palace’s resolve over Dean Henderson, lodging a bid for the goalkeeper and club captain. The answer was blunt. Henderson will not be allowed to leave before the deadline, and Palace have no intention of sending any more players up the M1 to Nottingham in these final days.
The message from Selhurst Park is clear: Muñoz is the limit. New head coach Pierre Sage will be backed, not stripped.
Forest, though, are still hunting. With Omari Hutchinson departing for AC Milan, they are in the market for forwards and are considering a late move for Newcastle’s Jacob Murphy.
There has been interest in Murphy from Forest earlier in the window, with Everton also hovering, but Newcastle have yet to receive a formal approach. Their own plans complicate the picture. They want attacking reinforcements too, with Lille’s Matias Fernandes Pardo and Stuttgart’s Bilal El Khannouss on their radar.
While Forest look to add, they are also fielding calls about exits. Eintracht Frankfurt are in talks to re-sign Arnaud Kalimuendo on loan after a successful spell in the second half of last season. This time, the German club are exploring a deal that could include an option to buy. Kalimuendo’s omission from the matchday 18 for the 2-2 draw at Liverpool underlined how live those discussions have become.
One deal they will not be doing is for Harrison Armstrong. After Forest made an approach to Everton, the Goodison Park board responded with a united front: Armstrong is not for sale.
Palace juggle incomings, Sarr pushes to go
While Forest reshape under Glasner, Palace are threading a tight needle: refresh the squad, protect key assets, and keep their new coach properly armed.
They are close to an agreement with Atalanta for Honest Ahanor on a season-long loan. The plan is unusual but precise. Ahanor would join Palace on loan from the Italian club, then complete a permanent move to Chelsea next summer for around £40m.
Because Axel Disasi is already on loan at Selhurst Park from Chelsea, Premier League rules prevent Chelsea from loaning Ahanor directly to Palace. The Atalanta route provides a workaround and gives Sage another option for the coming campaign.
Not every Palace player is being ushered towards the door, though. Ismaila Sarr wants to leave before the deadline, and Liverpool have made an approach for the Senegal international over the past week. He sits among several wide options under consideration at Anfield, with Yankuba Minteh at Brighton also in the frame.
Palace’s stance is uncompromising. Sarr is not for sale and remains under contract until 2029. His absence from the first two games of the season has been down to injury, not manoeuvring, and Palace are determined not to lose another major attacking weapon days before the window closes.
For now, the clock ticks towards Tuesday’s 11pm deadline with both clubs locked in delicate balancing acts. Forest have their new right wing-back and a familiar face for Glasner. Palace have their profit, their captain staying put, and another complex incoming on the verge of completion.
The final hours will decide whether this is just a reshuffle on the edges or the moment both squads take on a very different shape for the season ahead.
