Nottingham Forest have begun contract talks with striker Chris Wood.
The New Zealand international’s current deal is set to expire at the end of the season.
But with the 32-year-old having scored seven goals already, amid a positive start to the campaign under Nuno Espirito Santo, the club are keen to tie down his future.
Talks are in the early stages but Forest are hopeful of agreeing terms on a deal to ensure Wood remains at the City Ground beyond the summer.
Wood initially joined Forest on loan from Newcastle United in January 2023, although the deal included a clause that stipulated that the move would become permanent — for a fee of £15million — the following summer, if he made just three appearances.
In 34 starts and 13 sub appearances for Forest in the Premier League, Wood has scored 22 goals.
He has particularly flourished under Nuno, who saw the Auckland born player score twice against former club Leicester City on Friday, to help Forest to a 3-1 win.
How has Wood become such an important figure for Forest?
There is a good chance that, between now and the end of the season, Wood will become Forest’s record goal scorer in the Premier League.
His brace against Leicester took him level with Stan Collymore on 22 goals and he now trails Collymore’s former strike partner and current record scorer, Bryan Roy, by two goals.
There was a collective shrug of the shoulders in Nottingham when Wood first signed but, while it took a little time, he has emphatically won fans over since. Never more so than this season, when his statistics have underlined the scale of the impact he has made.
Wood’s seven goals represent 64 per cent of the 11 goals Forest have scored this season. What makes it more impressive is that Wood has achieved that from only 19 shots in nine league appearances.
He is a proven top flight striker who has hit peak form to help Forest climb to eighth in the table and suggest that they are ready to take a big step on from the relegation fights they have found themselves in during the previous two seasons.
The £15m fee that initially raised some eyebrows now looks to be great value for money.
(Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
