Nottingham Forest boss Chris Hughton has revealed he is yet to speak to the Reds' loan signings about their future, adding that it would be unfair to the player and their parent club to do so. 

Forest have benefitted from a number of loan signings in the 2020/21 campaign, the majority of which have joined from the Premier League.

After a shaky start and flirting with the relegation places, Hughton has led the Championship side eight points clear of the bottom three and some of his focus will now start to shift to next season.

The Forest boss has a big squad already but you feel there's likely to be movement in what is his first summer transfer window in charge.

Part of that could be bringing current loan signings back either temporarily or on a permanent deal but, speaking to The Athletic, Hughton has revealed that's not a subject that he's breached with the players themselves.

He explained: "I haven’t spoken to them (the loan players) yet.

"Also, it is unfair to put players in that position. It is disrespectful to their parent club. At this moment, we are grateful for their services but they are contracted to other clubs. We will see.”

It is two of their January loan signings, Benfica's Filip Krovinovic and Manchester United's James Garner, that have arguably the most positive impact for the Reds so far.

Both Cyrus Christie and Anthony Knockaert have been regular fixtures since Hughton's arrival but the availability of the Fulham duo may hinge on which division their parent club are playing in next term.

The same can be said for Luke Freeman, with Sheffield United looking on course to get relegated back to the Championship.

The Verdict

Forest have made some very smart loan signings this season and you feel that Hughton would love to have at least a few of them back next year.

It's going to be an interesting transfer window, particularly as the Reds have been among the busiest teams in the Championship in recent years.

Re-signing Garner would be a fantastic move but you feel if he continues to impress that might be difficult, with Man United likely keen for him to gain some Premier League experience at some point soon.

Hughton's approach is understandable and what you'd expect from a manager that has always come across as respectful and having the players' interests in mind.