Nottingham Forest star available in 2027 - Burnley and Wrexham should make their moves | OneFootball

Chris Wood is out of contract at the end of the season and both Burnley and Wrexham should have their eyes on adding him to their side

Chris Wood's time at Nottingham Forest may be coming to an end, with the veteran striker struggling for regular minutes under Oliver Glasner.

It's been a difficult year or so for the 34-year-old, who underwent knee surgery back in December for a problem sustained in October, an injury which kept him out for close to six months.

Upon his return, Forest are seemingly looking to move on from Wood as their main striker. The presence of Igor Jesus and the club-record £50 million signing of Liam Delap have relegated the New Zealand international to third choice, and he's played just 62 minutes of league action this season.

Wood's contract is up at the end of the season, and if nothing changes between now and then in terms of his place in the pecking order at the City Ground, the striker may part ways to try and maximise the final few years of his career.

Chris Wood could still be a very solid Championship striker, even in his mid-thirties

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Wood hasn't played in the Championship for a decade now, since he was leading the line at Leeds United. He netted a Golden Boot-winning 27 in 44 games during the 2016/17 term under Gary Monk, which earned him a top-flight move to Burnley the following summer.

His stint at Newcastle United aside, the 34-year-old has been a very solid striker at top-flight level, netting double digits most years. In the 2024/25 term, he netted 20 for Forest as they finished in a Europa League spot.

Coming off the back of such a serious knee injury may be a slight red flag for potential suitors, given his age, but Wood has remained fit and available since his return in April and played every minute for New Zealand in the World Cup this past summer.

So, with someone who has the goalscoring knack that Wood has, these two Championship sides could be preparing to make a move at the end of this season.

Burnley

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This is assuming that Burnley turn around this slow start under Nicky Hayen but don't have the power to push themselves towards what would be a fifth successive promotion at Championship level. Chris Wood would be a solid signing ahead of their first consecutive second-tier season since the early 2010s.

Wood's goalscoring exploits at Elland Road earned him a move to the Clarets in 2017 for what was then a club-record fee.

He scored at least 10 league goals in each of his four full campaigns at Turf Moor before the newly Saudi-backed Newcastle United triggered the £25 million release clause in his contract to bring him to St James' Park in January 2022. Burnley would be relegated later that year.

The reaction to his departure was mixed, and there'd be some sections of the fanbase who won't want to see Wood back in a Claret shirt. However, with the current striking options at Turf Moor, they'll be in a position where they'll need a goal-getter this summer.

Jamie Vardy's only there for the season, and he turns 40 in January. Wood, in comparison, is five years younger, so age definitely isn't a barrier to a striker being signed for the Turf Moor-based club. He'd offer more than the likes of Armando Broja, and is more of a recognisable target man than Zeki Amdouni.

If Burnley are still a Championship side in seven months, they could do a lot worse than Wood.

Wrexham

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With Wood spending the past decade on Premier League-level wages, any chance of him moving down to the Championship will have to see him play for a side that can afford him.

Wrexham are one of those, and while the frontline at the Stok Cae Ras seems set for now, there'd be no harm in adding someone like Wood to help bolster things up top.

The 34-year-old, like Moore, can operate well as a target man. The Welshman is more of a presence, and won over 200 aerial duels last season while leading the line.

But in terms of a direct comparison, if he gets injured, Wood would allow Phil Parkinson's side to play a similar style to the one they currently do, creating chances for a towering centre forward to profit in and around the six-yard box.

In an ideal world, Wrexham will be looking to complete the final promotion of what has been a meteoric rise up the EFL under the Hollywood ownership of Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds this season, but like Burnley, if they find themselves in the second tier again next season, Wood could be someone they could look at,