After the news that Nottingham Forest may have to part ways with one of their star players this summer, the club need to start cutting down on their bloated squad.

The Reds currently have 28 players within the first-team squad, with many others on loan away from the City Ground, but are expected to come back at the end of their current spells.

Emmanuel Dennis, Remo Freuler and Lewis O'Brien are just three members of the Reds' squad that are out on loan, with none expected to be part of Nuno Espírito Santo's long-term plans.

Scott McKenna is another Forest player currently out on loan, with the Scottish international out of contract at the end of the campaign and unlikely to sign a new deal – with the 27-year-old set to be a free agent.

However, despite the four players previously mentioned, the club should look to part ways with another loanee, with the player needing a fresh start after a terrible few months at Forest and out on loan.

Joe Worrall's stats at Nottingham Forest since promotion

After coming through the Nigel Doughty Academy, defender Joe Worrall eventually made his way into the Forest first-team, becoming an integral part of the side that won promotion to the Premier League in 2022.

Despite the 20+ arrivals at the City Ground during the summer of 2022, Worrall maintained his place at the heart of the Reds' defence, being named the club's captain and making 30 appearances in England's top flight before dropping down the pecking order at the start of the 2023/24 season.

The signings of players such as Murillo and Andrew Omobamidele saw the 27-year-old only make seven appearances up until January, with off-the-field antics also seeing the defender instructed to train away from the first-team.

Although it's not exactly clear what happened between the defender and former boss Steve Cooper, The Athletic confirmed that Worrall was told to train separately after a confrontation.

His fate remained the same under new boss Nuno, with the academy graduate leaving his boyhood club on a temporary basis during the recent January transfer window, joining Turkish Süper Lig side Besiktas until the end of the season.

How much Joe Worrall earns at Nottingham Forest

Despite signing a new deal until the summer of 2026 just six months ago, Worrall looks to have played his last game for the club with the club needing to clear his wages off the bill.

The local lad currently earns a reported £50k-per-week, with the club potentially saving over £2.6m on wages alone – regardless of any transfer fee the club would receive for Worrall.

His weekly wage is already higher than that of Murillo, with the Brazilian currently earning just £30k-per-week – with the 21-year-old deserving of much more given his recent links with the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and PSG.

Moussa Niakhate

£45k-p/w

Willy Boly

£40k-p/w

Nicolas Dominguez

£35k-p/w

Andrew Omobamidele

£35k-p/w

Murillo

£30k-p/w

Danilo

£30k-p/w

Anthony Elanga

£25k-p/w

Worrall unfortunately, hasn't made the grade in the Premier League, with the defender showing glimpses of quality, but unable to sustain his performance levels.

That, coupled with his fall-out and Forest's FFP and PSR predicament, the club should look to permanently sell the 6 foot 3 defender when the window opens in the summer.