Nottingham Forest's Strategic Summer Signings
Nottingham Forest have gone for scalpel, not sledgehammer, this summer.
After years of churn and frantic late-window business, Oliver Glasner has doubled down on his preference: a tight, manageable group he can drill and mould. No flood of signings. Just a few expensive, targeted pieces dropped into key positions.
The headline fees tell the story. Liam Delap at £50 million. Ousmane Diomande at £34 million. Two big investments, both designed to raise the ceiling rather than pad out the numbers.
Defensive Structure
At the back, Diomande is expected to walk straight into Glasner’s favoured back three, flanking Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic. It is a trio built for aggression and control, with the new man offering the blend of pace and composure that can anchor Forest’s defensive structure for years. Behind that idea sits a clear plan: fewer bodies, more responsibility.
Changes in the Flank
Out wide, there is change too. Daniel Munoz has followed Glasner from Crystal Palace, a trusted lieutenant brought in to sharpen the right flank. His arrival turns up the heat on Ola Aina, whose place at right-back is suddenly anything but secure. Under Glasner, reputation counts for less than reliability.
Forward Strategy
Up front, Delap is the long-term answer to a question that has hovered for a while: what comes after Chris Wood? The 21-year-old’s move is framed as a reset as much as a transfer. After his miserable spell at Chelsea, Forest offer something he has lacked — a clear role and the promise of regular minutes. If he can rebuild his confidence, the fee starts to look like a statement rather than a gamble.
Midfield Dynamics
In midfield, Xaver Schlager brings familiarity. Glasner knows exactly what he is getting from their Wolfsburg days together: intensity, tactical discipline, and a player who can knit the system together without fuss. There is no like-for-like, marquee replacement for Elliot Anderson, whose departure leaves a creative gap, but the manager has opted for trust and structure over star power.
Squad Stability
One major advantage this time: no European football. Last season’s draining run to the Europa League semi-finals thrilled the supporters but shredded the squad. By the time they faced Aston Villa in that brutal second leg, Forest were running on fumes and held together by tape. This year, the calendar is kinder, the load lighter, and a smaller squad suddenly looks like a strength rather than a risk.
There is also, for once, a sense of continuity. After 13 arrivals last summer, this version of Forest feels unusually familiar. The churn has slowed. The faces are recognisable. The manager has stopped firefighting and started building.
Glasner has been careful with his words, insisting he is not a magician and warning against demands for instant transformation. Now, though, he finally has something he did not enjoy last season: a squad shaped in his image, and the time to see whether his ideas can turn expensive pieces into a coherent Premier League force.
