Nottingham Forest's Sensational Deadline Day: Seven Stellar Signings Fuel Steve Cooper's Ambitions
Nottingham Forest's transfer spree sees them secure seven impressive signings, including Ibrahim Sangare from PSV for £30m Divock Origi, Nuno Tavares, Nicolas Dominguez, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Odysseas Vlachodimos, and Andrew Omobamidele also join Cooper faces the challenge of integrating them effectively while hoping Chelsea officials show strength
Nottingham Forest made several signings on the final day of the transfer window, completing a total of seven deals. In addition to this, they also sold Brennan Johnson to Tottenham. Among their new signings is Arsenal full-back Nuno Tavares, who joined on loan with the possibility of a permanent move. Another notable addition is Nicolas Dominguez from Bologna, who signed a five-year contract. As part of this deal, Remo Freuler made a permanent move to the Serie A club.
Dominguez, who served as captain at Bologna, has inked a five-year contract. The 25-year-old, who made his international debut in September 2019, has represented Argentina in 11 matches.
"I am thrilled to be a part of a club with such a rich history in England and the Premier League," expressed Dominguez on the Forest website.
"I watched the game Forest played against Sheffield United, I saw the fans in the stadium and it attracted me. I'm over the moon and keen to embrace this challenge."
Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this.
Open Privacy Options
Callum Hudson-Odoi, who has been capped three times for England, strengthened Cooper's attacking choices by signing a three-year contract after departing from Chelsea. Having previously made 156 appearances for the Blues, Hudson-Odoi committed to a long-term goal.
Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this.
Open Privacy Options
The 22-year-old spent last term on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, with Forest seeing off Fulham for the signing, having made a total of 156 appearances for Chelsea.
"It's massive for me to be here and I can't wait to get started. It's a new chapter for me," he said.
Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this.
Open Privacy Options
Forest bolstered their squad by investing in Greek goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos, securing his services from Benfica for a four-year contract. Additionally, they acquired Ibrahim Sangare from PSV Eindhoven for a reported fee of £30 million on a five-year agreement. Sangare, the Ivory Coast international, played a crucial role in PSV's victory over Rangers, earning them a spot in the Champions League group stages. Notably, the 25-year-old had been previously linked with a potential move to Bayern Munich during the transfer window.
More than 90 minutes after the window had closed, Forest announced the loan signing of former Liverpool forward Divock Origi from AC Milan.
Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this.
Open Privacy Options
Belgian international, Divock, played 36 matches last season for the San Siro team.
Ross Wilson, Forest's Chief Football Officer, stated, "Divock's arrival strengthens our squad as he returns to the Premier League."
Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this.
Open Privacy Options
"We wanted to bolster our attacking options and Divock certainly helps us to do that."
But Forest were not done there.
Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this.
Open Privacy Options
In the early hours, defender Andrew Omobamidele joined from Norwich for £11m.
The defender has signed a five-year deal which keeps him at the City Ground until at least the summer of 2028.
The 21-year-old made his full international debut for Republic of Ireland in September 2021 and has since played a further five times for his country.
Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this.
Open Privacy Options
Forest's head of football, Wilson, a busy individual, expressed, "Andrew has garnered significant interest ever since his debut at Norwich City. He has already gained experience in the Premier League, Championship, and international football. He is currently one of the most captivating young defenders in the nation, and we are thrilled to have him join our club."
The magnificent seven
Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this.
Open Privacy Options
How will Cooper fit them all in?
Image:
Brennan Johnson joined Spurs in a £47.5m deal
Forest's summer incomings have reached 15 with the addition of new recruits Anthony Elanga, Matt Turner, Ola Aina, Andrey Santos, Gonzalo Montiel, Murillo, Chris Wood (on a permanent deal), and youngster Manni Norkett from Manchester United. The club also witnessed a significant outgoing as Tottenham secured the signing of Brennan Johnson for £47.5m on the same day.
Having lost Harry Kane last month, Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou wasted no time in making the Wales international his top priority. On the final day of the transfer deadline, he successfully acquired the services of the young attacker.
Johnson put pen to paper on a contract extension with Tottenham that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2029, effectively ending his long-standing affiliation with Forest.
Having made his debut for Forest in 2019, the multifaceted forward, following in the footsteps of his father David, went on to amass a commendable tally of 108 appearances and 29 goals for his beloved childhood team.
Ex-Lincoln loanee Johnson played a crucial role after Steve Cooper took charge at the City Ground. He emerged as a standout performer during the club's successful journey to the Premier League in 2022. Furthermore, he demonstrated his capabilities by scoring eight goals last season, instrumental in securing their top-flight survival.
Johnson, who signed a four-year contract with Forest in the previous summer, has now been transferred for an impressive amount of £47.5m, which also includes a 10 per cent sell-on clause. Although Forest had rejected two offers from Brentford for Johnson, who is versatile enough to play in any position across the front three, this sale will aid in meeting their Financial Fair Play obligations.
Summer 2023 transfer window
Ins
Ibrahim Sangare - PSV Eindhoven, £30mDivock Origi - AC Milan, loan
Gonzalo Montiel - Sevilla, loan
Anthony Elanga - Man Utd, undisclosed
Chris Wood - Newcastle, undisclosed
Manni Norkett - Manchester United, free
Ola Aina - Torino, free
Matt Turner - Arsenal, £10m
Andrey Santos - Chelsea, loan
Murrilo - Corinthians, £13.7m
Nuno Tavares - Arsenal, loan
Nicolas Dominguez - Bologna, swap (Remo Freuler going the other way)
Callum Hudson-Odoi - Chelsea, £5m
Odysseas Vlachodimos - Benfica, £7.7m
Andrew Omobamidele - Norwich, £11m
Outs
Brennan Johnson - Tottenham, £47.5mLewis O'Brien - Middlesbrough, loan
Riley Harbottle - Hibernian, undisclosed
Sam Surridge - Nashville SC, undisclosed
Will Swan - Mansfield, undisclosed
Andre Ayew - Released
Cafu - Rotherham, free
Adnan Kanuric - Released
Jack Colback - QPR, free
Jesse Lingard - Released
Jordan Smith - Released
Lyle Taylor - Released
Dale Taylor - Wycombe, loan
Fin Back - Carlisle, loan
Aaron Donnelly - Dundee, loan
Steve Cook - QPR, undisclosed
Braian Ojeda - Real Salt Lake, undisclosed
Josh Bowler - Cardiff City, loan
Oli Hammond - Cheltenham Town, loan
Billy Fewster - Released
Alex Gibson-Hammond - Released
Ryan Hammon - Released
Nicky Hogarth - Released
Lewis Salmon - Released
Gustavo Scarpa - Olympiacos, loan
Tyrese Fornah - Derby, undisclosed
Jonathan Panzo - Cardiff, loan
Loic Mbe Soh - Almere City, loan
Remo Freuler - Bologna, swap (Nicolas Dominguez going the other way)
Cooper hopes officials at Chelsea 'stand up and be strong'
Cooper said he hoped the match officials at Chelsea on Saturday would "stand up and be strong".
Forest was deeply disappointed by the outcome of several crucial decisions during their 3-2 defeat at Manchester United last weekend.
VAR confirmed referee Stuart Atwell's choice to send off Forest captain Joe Worrall for impeding Bruno Fernandes' opportunity to score and to grant a penalty due to Danilo's challenge on Marcus Rashford.
Cooper mentioned the impending challenging away game at Stamford Bridge, a renowned stadium. He emphasized the importance of displaying resilience and teamwork on the field, and expressed curiosity to witness how the team would perform, particularly in light of their previous weekend's performance.
Cooper mentioned that Forest had not yet received a response from the PGMOL, the referees' governing body, regarding their observations on the match at Old Trafford. He expressed surprise at the lack of reply, considering the professionalism and importance of the issues raised.
"We receive numerous observations from you on a weekly basis. It is important for us to express our thoughts and emotions regarding various matters, both positive and negative. However, we should not solely focus on the negative aspects."
Cooper stated that it had become common practice for managers to analyze the match officials together with their players before each match.
Tim Robinson will be the referee at Stamford Bridge, while Jarred Gillett will be in the VAR seat.
"Referees, like players, have different trends, so we present certain statistics on how they have performed, which is neither good nor bad," Cooper commented.
We make sure to consistently provide this support to referees, demonstrating to players each week who the referee is and offering insights into their statistics on aspects such as penalties and cards. The role of a referee is undeniably challenging, and it is crucial for them to have the utmost support and a solid infrastructure in place.
We should always provide our feedback, even if it's positive. We tend to be eager to criticize when we feel unfairly treated. However, we should also give praise when it's due, and I believe we do that as well.
Forest has faced challenges in the league this season, with losses to Arsenal on the opening day and at Old Trafford.
Cooper remarked, "The reason why this is intriguing for us is because when the fixtures were released, everyone focused on our away matches. Hence, what I mean is that we have another significant game coming up this weekend, and it is crucial that all players on the field possess the correct, resolute mindset."
