French striker Arnaud Kalimuendo is joining Nottingham Forest. Photo: Photosport
Nottingham Forest have signed French striker Arnaud Kalimuendo as support for their All Whites star forward Chris Wood on a five-year deal.
Financial details of the transfer from Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais were not revealed by Forest, but British media reported Forest paid about 26 million pounds (NZ$60m) for the 23-year-old.
Kalimuendo came through Paris St Germain's academy and had two loan spells at Lens before joining Rennes in 2022, scoring 40 goals from 112 appearances in all competitions. At Lens, he netted 21 goals in 65 appearances.
Kalimuendo was impressive in 2024-25, with 18 goals and four assists in 34 matches for Rennes. He was part of the France squad that won silver at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
"This is a proud moment for me, joining a team who had a strong season last year and a club with great history," Kalimuendo said.
"I'm ready for the challenge, and I arrive here with good experience. I had a good season last year with goals and assists but I want more and want to reach a new level here."
Forest have spent about NZ$335m on seven signings in the transfer window, including three in the last three days.
Kalimuendo joins midfielder James McAtee from Manchester City for NZ$68m and winger Omari Hutchinson from Ipswich Town for $85m at the City Ground.
Forest, who finished seventh last season, began the new campaign with a 3-1 home win over Brentford on Monday, with Wood scoring twice. The Midlands club are also playing in the Europa League, which will be their first European campaign since 1996.
Wood's goal proves a pain for coach
Meanwhile, joy turned to pain in an instant for Nottingham Forest goalkeeping coach Rui Barbosa, whose celebration of Chris Wood's opener against Brentford ended with six stitches and a dizzy spell for him in their first Premier League game of the new season.
Wood's fifth-minute goal, poked home following a corner, sparked jubilant scenes in the Forest dugout at the City Ground. However, Barbosa's enthusiasm turned painful when he smacked his head on the dugout during the celebrations.
The club's medical staff swiftly treated a nasty cut on his head.
"He has six stitches! It was a nasty one. A bad one. He was dizzy," Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo told reporters on Sunday.
- Reuters
