Ex-Leicester City striker Alan Smith has cast doubt over whether a potential move to the City Ground would be a step up for Brentford striker, Yoane Wissa.
Speaking to Sky Sports following Nottingham Forest’s £22 million bid for the Bees frontman, Smith suggested the club was not an “established” Premier League club compared to Brentford despite currently sitting in third place – eight spots ahead of the London club.
“With all due respect to Forest,” the former England international began. “Would he [Wissa] view that as an upward step? [a move to Forest] I’m not so sure – I know they’re having a brilliant season but Brentford, now, are an established Premier League club.
“And, despite Forest’s success this season, you couldn’t really say that about them. But, I think it will alert other clubs and there are a few in need of a centre forward.”
Smith suggests his former club Arsenal, where he famously won the 1988/1989 First Division, could rival Nuno Espirito Santo‘s side for Wissa’s signature.
“You think of Arsenal – would they look across London and think ‘yeah, he might be one that we’d fancy bringing.'”
Smith made 200 league appearances for Forest’s East Midland rivals, Leicester City, scoring 76 times.
He also made 264 league appearances for The Gunners, who are currently level on 44 points with Forest in the league table, scoring 86 goals.
Top flight football returned to the City Ground during the 2022/2023 season after defeating Huddersfield 1-0 in the play-off final at Wembley in their final game of the previous Championship campaign.
Wissa’s Brentford were promoted to the Premier League via the play-off final one year prior meaning the club’s first stint in the Premier League has only been one season longer than Forest’s.
Furthermore, the Reds have enjoyed four separate spells in the Premier League.
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