With the arrival of Morgan Gibbs-White for an amount of around 30 million euros, before potential bonuses, Nottingham Forest became the third biggest spending club of the summer, behind Chelsea and FC Barcelona. Review of the numbers of the 16 recruits who have arrived since the opening of the transfer window.
Number 10 in the back, recruited for 30 million euros before bonuses, Morgan Gibbs-White, 22, is Nottingham Forest’s flagship recruit this summer. But he is not the only one, far from it. The English club, back in the Premier League after a 23-year absence , have decided to do things big and hit the transfer window, where they are the third biggest spending club in Europe with 148 million euros. disbursed. Only Chelsea (186 million) and Barça (153 million) have taken out the checkbook more.
A total of 16 players have already arrived while the market is still open for ten days. During the second day of the championship against West Ham, Nottingham lined up seven new players at kick-off. It could be even more this Saturday against Everton, since Forest signed four new elements this week alone, with Emmanuel Dennis, Cheikhou Kouyaté and Remo Freuler, in addition to Morgan Gibbs-White. The club, owned by the Greek businessman Evangelos Marinakis, also at the head of Olympiacos, has delusions of grandeur.
Beautiful suitcases placed on young players
With the bonuses, the transfer of Morgan Gibbs-White could cost up to 50 million euros to Nottingham Forest, another example of the flight of prices on young players, even more when they are English. The midfielder arrived from Wolverhampton, after a big season on loan at Sheffield, has only 12 starts in the Premier League. But it was the strategy of the promoted this summer: bet on young people. The idea was also to avoid loans, which were numerous last season in the Championship.
Nottingham have therefore attracted Taiwo Awoniyi, a Nigerian prospect who scored 15 Bundesliga goals last season with Union Berlin; Emmanuel Dennis, strongman of relegated Watford; Neco Williams, Liverpool right-back blocked by Alexander-Arnold at the Reds and in search of playing time; or even Omar Richards, English left-back returning to the country after a season as a back-up at Bayern.
Boys 25 or younger, like Orel Mangala, Giulian Biancone, Lewis O’Brien and Brandon Aguilera. In the end, there are only three players over 25 for whom Forest has agreed to pay compensation: Moussa Niakhate and Harry Toffolo, both 26, and Remo Freuler, a 30-year-old from Atalanta, who is a figure exceptional in the club’s transfer window.
Experienced executives who arrive free
All that remained was to supervise the youngsters. Nottingham therefore targeted a few Premier League regulars, but without paying a penny in transfer compensation. Jesse Lingard, 29 and seven full seasons in the top flight, was the first big name to sign at the end of July. He had followed his teammate at Manchester United , Dean Henderson, only 25 years old but who has for him to have spent a lot of years in a very big club.
Cheikhou Kouyaté (32) and Wayne Hennessey (35), seasoned thirtysomethings, destined to be a replacement for the second, complete the picture. The Senegalese has been in the Premier League since 2014, passing through West Ham and Crystal Palace, while the Welsh goalkeeper, the oldest player in the squad, has known the championship for almost fifteen years. With them, the financial risk has been reduced to a strict minimum, but their presence is almost essential.
There are now about ten days left to finalize the last potential arrivals. Houssem Aouar, a tracked time, is no longer a priority for Nottingham . Neal Maupay, on the other hand, was announced close to the club a few days ago by the British media. Then Steve Cooper, the coach, to bring all this new world together. Victory against West Ham last Sunday should only be the start.
Source: Robin Wattraint
