In recent times, Nottingham Forest have become known for their frantic activity during transfer windows, with their scattergun approach being very hit-and-miss, to say the least.
Since promotion back to the Premier League in May 2022, the club have made 34 new additions – with owner Evangelos Marinakis investing over £200m to make Forest competitive in England's top flight.
Top-quality players such as Morgan Gibbs-White, Ibrahim Sangare and Murillo have all joined the Reds in recent times – strengthening the squad in the fight to stay in the Premier League for a third successive season after a 23-year absence.
However, players such as Jesse Lingard and Jonjo Shelvey joined the Reds on expensive wages, failing to make an impact at the club, before leaving the club within a year of joining.
The club operated on a tighter budget during their time in the Championship and could've seen themselves make a huge profit on a player had they made one crucial addition.
Nottingham Forest's starting XI if they never achieved promotion in 2022
The club gained promotion to the Premier League in the 2021/22 season.
ByEthan LambFeb 16, 2024 Nottingham Forest missed out on world-class talent for £2m
Back in 2010, the Reds were interested in signing Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur, with the north London club demanding £2m for the Welshman who could operate at left-back and left-midfield.
During the early noughties, the Reds struggled for a consistent left-back, with players such as Nicky Shorey and club-legend Chris Cohen often being deployed on the left-hand side of defence.
Billy Davies, the Forest boss at the time, spoke about Bale's potential move to the City Ground and said: “Well, he’s a very good player. There’s no doubt that people who play at Spurs are all good players, we know that.
“We’ve got to continue to identify the ones we feel we need and the type we feel we need. Whether Gareth Bale is available or not, I’ve got to say I do have great admiration for the lad and think he’s a wonderful player.
“But without knowing what the budget is, and what the situation is, it’s very difficult. All you can do is recommend a number of possible targets with different financial packages against their heads, then wait and see how far we can go.”
The move for the Tottenham defender was rivalled by Birmingham City. However, no club were able to strike a deal with Spurs with Bale able to find his feet at White Hart Lane – going on to become the world's most expensive player in a £85m transfer to Real Madrid.
Gareth Bale stats after rejecting Nottingham Forest move
It's safe to say that Bale went on to achieve unthinkable things after his proposed move to the City Ground collapsed, with the Welshman eventually moving further up the field during his time at Tottenham.
His first real burst into the spotlight came during the Champions League clash against Inter Milan at the San Siro, where Bale bagged himself a second-half hat-trick – the first in his professional career.
From that game on, the winger took his career to the next level, with the Welshman going from strength to strength in the colours of Tottenham.
In the 2011/12 season, Bale achieved double figures in goals and assists, scoring ten times, whilst providing a further 14 assists for his teammates.
His role changed once more, with the one-time left-back switching the left-hand side for the right – with Bale's ability to cut in on his stronger left foot a real characteristic of his play.
x5 Champions League
x3 Club World Cup
x3 La Liga
x3 UEFA Super Cup
x1 Copa Del Rey
x1 English League Cup
x1 MLS Cup
x1 Spanish Super Cup
However, it was his performances in the 2012/13 Premier League campaign that caught the eye of the Spanish giants who forked out a world-record fee for the attacker. Bale scored 21 times, assisting eight, with the Spurs forward claiming the PFA Player and Young Player of the Season awards.
He made an instant impact in Madrid, scoring in the Copa Del Rey final against Barcelona – with his bursting run past, Marc Bartra giving fans a taste of what was to come during his time at the Spanish giants.
Bale would go on to make 258 appearances for Madrid, scoring 106 times including a superb bicycle kick against Liverpool in the final of the Champions League. The two goals would be the peak of his career with the Spanish side, before struggling with injuries and falling down the pecking order.
The Welshman even returned to Tottenham on a loan spell for the 2020/21 season – making 20 appearances, scoring 11 times.
Upon his return to Spurs, Bale said: "It feels great to be back in an environment where I’m loved.
"I’ve said in previous interviews that when I go back to Wales I feel that love and happiness and that’s when I’m able to play my best football. Coming back here I knew I was going to get a great reception. I love the club and I loved my time here.
"Hopefully now we can kick on and win a trophy – if not two! I just want to enjoy my football and give the fans something to smile about."
However, his spell back in the Premier League wouldn't change his fortunes at Madrid, with the forward eventually leaving the club in 2022 for Los Angeles FC.
He subsequently retired in 2023 after a brief spell in the US, with Bale ending his career after a turbulent final few seasons all over the world.
Despite the sour ending, he enjoyed a brilliant career with Billy Davies' side undoubtedly missing a brilliant deal when linked with the Welshman back in 2010.
