Greg . 23 hours ago

Have Nottingham Forest already 'won' the player market ahead of European adventure?

Nottingham Forest have been one of the busiest clubs in the transfer market, securing key signings that could transform their fortunes this season.

But with business still ongoing, the question remains, have they already come out on top in the summer player market?After an impressive season that saw the 'Tricky Trees' secure European qualification for the first time since the '90s, before taking the place of Crystal Palace in the Europa League thanks to some dubious circumstances, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have been busy.

Having spent £123 million on six new first-team players, with more likely to come, while seeing seven depart for £102m, Forest are undoubtedly a team with big ambitions as they head into the 2025-26 season.

Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee were both in attendance to watch their new team batter Brentford 3-1 in Forest’s first game of the season.

The feeling at the City Ground is positive, so, have they had the best summer player market in the Premier League?Shifting the deadwood and keeping their starsOf all the players that have left, only Anthony Elanga can be considered a big loss.

The winger was arguably Forest’s best player last season, scoring six goals and providing 12 assists in his 43 games across all competitions.

Morgan Gibbs-White came nearing joining him after Tottenham activated his secret £60 million release clause, but owner Evangelos Marinakis wasn’t having any of it, quickly agreeing a new deal with the England international and filming an odd announcement clip, which came out of nowhere.

Forest have seemingly bucked the trend of having their squad picked apart by the ‘big boys’ after a successful season, instead selling players that were deemed surplus to requirements in order to raise funds.

Danilo, Ramon Sosa, Andrew Omobamidele, Matt Turner, and Lewis O'Brien all left for decent fees, while Jonathan Panzo and Harry Toffolo both left as free agents.

Most importantly, the players acquired are an improvement.

A greater strength in depthIt’s going to be a busy season for Forest now that they have European football.

What was ultimately they’re undoing at the end of 2024-25, falling out of the top four and ending up in seventh, was that they simply didn’t have the same level of depth their rivals did.

Heading into the few games of the season, it was clear that Gibbs-White was their main man.

Three goal contributions in his final three games showed just how important he was.

Should the worst happen, and he picks up an injury, McAtee or Hutchinson can come in and do a similar job.

The same could be said for Chris Wood.

Emmanuel Dennis and Taiwo Awoniyi had their moments, but they’re a different profile to the big Kiwi, more nimble, while Wood is a battering ram that can strike a ball like few others and beat defenders in the air.

Igor Jesus, acquired from Botafogo, fits the Wood mould a little better, but it’s going to take some time for him to get up to speed with the physicality of the Premier League.

Dan Ndoye might be the most exciting signing of their summer so far, however.

He gave the fans a little taste of what he can do in his debut, although don’t expect him to score many more headers this season.

He’s a little more versatile than Elanga and can play on the left just as well as he does on the right.

Rivals struggling in the windowWhere Forest have flourished, two of their biggest rivals last season, Newcastle and Aston Villa have struggled.

Eddie Howe’s side have been turned down by the likes of Benjamin Sesko, Liam Delap, and Joao Pedro, among others, although Malick Thiaw and Elanga are both good additions.

Villa’s window has been a little different.

Spending 91% of their revenue on wages last season has PSR on their back and failure to qualify for this season’s Champions League has massively impacted their ability to spend.

Newcastle have helped Unai Emery out a little bit there, signing Jacob Ramsey for a reported transfer cost of £43 million, and weighing up Ramsey is a homegrown player, Villa have a little more wriggle room to bring in new players over the next couple of weeks.

More to come for Nottingham ForestThe Athletic recently reported that Forest are working on a deal to sign Rico Lewis from Manchester City, although it’s understood the player is reluctant to make the transfer and would much prefer to remain under Pep Guardiola.

Whether that deal happens or not, it’s a major statement of intent.

Lewis has been a consistent starter for one of the best teams on the planet, and he hasn’t looked out of place among the superstars Guardiola has at his disposal.

It’s also been reported, again by The Athletic, that a deal for Douglas Luiz is close.

The Brazilian has been poor at Juventus, but that’s not entirely his fault, injuries have played a major role in his disappointing time in Italy.

Luiz is a player with plenty of Premier League experience.

It may take him a little time to shake off the rust but he still has it in him to be a big player, should he join.

One player already over the line is Arnaud Kalimuendo.

The French striker comes in from Rennes for a reported transfer cost of around £26million, and he will offer an entirely different option to Wood, their main man up top.

Kalimuendo was a standout in a difficult season for Rennes, bagging 17 goals and providing three assists in his 33 Ligue 1 games, with his club finishing down in 12th.

VerdictIt’s a good time to be a Nottingham Forest fan.

In this window, they’ve managed to address at least some of the issues they had last season, most notably adding strength in depth and signing young players with high ceilings.

Keeping onto some of their most valuable assets can’t be downplayed either, so when it comes to winning the player market, it’s hard to find a club that has been able to build upon their previous campaign like Forest.