Nottingham Forest have demonstrated a scattergun approach in the transfer market since their promotion back to the Premier League under Steve Cooper in May 2022.
Since the play-off final triumph at Wembley, the Reds have made 34 new additions, with owner Evangelos Marinakis investing over £200m to the playing squad, transforming the side that achieved promotion nearly two years ago.
The club have made some key additions, with the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White and Taiwo Awoniyi crucial in the Reds' push to maintain their Premier League status for a third consecutive season.
Not all of Forest's signings have been successful, however, with players such as Emmanuel Dennis and Matt Turner joining the club for fees over £10m but failing to make an impact on Trentside – with Dennis rejoining former side Watford on loan in January and the latter making countless mistakes.
Despite the duo's lack of impact at Forest, one player appears to have been a complete disaster after his arrival at the club during the summer of 2022.
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 Lamb Jesse Lingard's stats at Nottingham Forest
During the summer of 2022, Jesse Lingard was one of 23 new additions that arrived at the City Ground, with the former Manchester United man arguably the highest profile.
The club fended off interest from the likes of West Ham United for Lingard's signature, with the forward claiming it was Forest's "love" for him that made him want the move.
Lingard joined the club on a one-year deal, with the attacker failing to make a real impression during his time in the East Midlands. He only made 20 appearances in all competitions during the 2022/23 campaign, after an injury-hit campaign which saw him miss large spells.
He scored twice during his stint in Nottingham with both his goals coming in the Carabao Cup against Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur.
How much Jesse Lingard cost Nottingham Forest
The deal to bring Lingard to the City Ground saw the club pay the forward a reported £115k-per-week – the highest salary of anyone within the Forest squad at the time.
During Lingard's time at the City Ground, the club had to fork out £6m in wages over an annual period for the former Manchester United man – a staggering amount of money for a player who only scored twice during his 12-month spell at the club. It also means that he cost a rather alarming £3m per goal he scored.
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His weekly wage of £115k is £35k-per-week more than the current second-highest earner Felipe as per Capology – with Lingard's wages a huge reason the club are currently facing a points deduction for breaking the Premier League's FFP rules.
Although he previously excelled in the Premier League – making over 180 appearances – the move for Lingard was a disaster for both parties, with Forest losing a lot of money on a player who joined the club with huge promise after his previous spells in England's top-flight.
Upon his release in June last year, the forward was without a club until February this year, with the now 31-year-old joining South Korean side Seoul on a deal until the end of 2025 – a highlight of how fall he's fallen in recent seasons.