The starting gun has been fired on an important summer for Nottingham Forest now the transfer window is officially open.
Monday marked the first day of Premier League clubs being able to do business again. Deadline day on September 1, with an 11pm cut-off, might seem a long way in the distance, but it will soon come around.
No doubt there will be plenty of twists and turns before then as the Reds plot incomings and outgoings. The Nottingham Post takes a look at what to expect from the summer window…
Anderson saga
Manchester City’s pursuit of Forest ace Elliot Anderson already feels like it has been going on for some time. Having been unsuccessful with their first bid, they tried their luck for a second time last week with an improved offer reportedly worth more than £120 million.
Various potential price tags of anything up to £130m have been mooted, and it is likely a British record transfer fee (surpassing the £125m Liverpool paid Newcastle United for Alexander Isak) will be required for the Reds to even consider selling. If they are to let one of their prized assets go, it will be on Forest’s terms, as they are the ones holding all the cards.
With City’s interest seemingly undiminished, this particular story looks like it still has some way to run. And it might be it continues to rumble throughout the World Cup.
The FA Cup winners had wanted to get a deal for Anderson wrapped up before England’s tournament kicked off. But with the Three Lions’ opening game taking place on Wednesday, time is not on their side.
For Forest, there is no pressure for that to happen. The 23-year-old’s value would potentially increase if he impresses on the global stage.
Pereira’s strategy
Head coach Vitor Pereira was very clear when he discussed the transfer window before the Reds broke up for their summer recess. His main message centred around his squad requiring only minimal work for the new season.
He spoke about wanting to keep the core of the group together and to supplement it with a handful of additions. His target is to have “at least two players at a level” in every position, albeit there is no need for a significantly big squad this time around.
Any key player who does leave, Pereira said, should be replaced. And he was eager for the bulk of business to get done early in the window to allow maximum preparation time with his group for the 2026/27 campaign.
Pereira’s impact after being thrown in at the deep end when appointed in February was impressive; now it is about building on that work. The Portuguese has said, “I hope we can start pre-season with a squad that allows us to start working and preparing for the first games of the season.”
Key business
The centre of the pitch will be a big focus for the Reds amid City’s interest in Anderson. A number of midfielders were looked at in January, with the waters reportedly tested for Inter Milan’s David Frattesi and Celtic’s Arne Engels, and the transfer talk has continued since.
Frattesi and Engels are two names that have never really gone away. How to cater for the potential loss of one of the best midfielders in the division looks like being the challenge for Forest.
Bringing in a goalkeeper is also likely to be on the agenda, given Stefan Ortega and Angus Gunn will officially leave when their deals expire at the end of this month. The Reds need to make sure they have sufficient backup for No. 1 Matz Sels, with John Victor having not been entirely convincing and having been linked with a return to his native Brazil.
Although a mass overhaul of the squad is unlikely, it would not be a surprise to see some fringe players depart. Full-back Nicolo Savona, for example, is said to be wanted by Atalanta.
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