This summer could look different to what Nottingham Forest fans have come to expect, as Vitor Pereira has laid out plans for a quick and efficient transfer window.
The transfer window is set to open on June 15 and, despite the disruption caused by this summer’s World Cup, Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira is adamant that the Reds must act quickly in the market.
Last summer, 10 of Forest’s 13 eventual signings arrived at the club after July. Then manager Nuno Espirito Santo made no secret of his disagreement with this.
Now, Pereira is in the hot seat, and he wants the club to learn from a difficult season by constructing his squad ready for pre-season.
“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,” he insisted.
"If you start this league without players or if you delay decisions or if you don’t have your first starting line-up in your mind because you didn’t have time to work, if you start with those kind of conditions, and you don’t win the first one, the second one or the third one. We cannot do that.”
The fact is, Forest do not need to be as busy as they were last summer. Compared to the 13 additions made then, Pereira has revealed that he is targeting just three new recruits this summer.
That number could change if outgoings materialise, but the business of recent years looks set to be replaced by an unfamiliar calm on the transfer front, with Pereira also playing down the need to sell players, insisting he is delighted with the bulk of his squad.
But while the Portuguese Head Coach is keen for quick business, some decisions may be out of his hands.
Elliot Anderson will be one of the stories of the summer, as Manchester City battle for his signature in what is expected to be a £100 million+ deal, but how quickly that will happen, if a transfer materialises at all, remains to be seen.
Elliot Anderson during Nottingham Forest's lap of appreciation (Credit: Action Images via Reuters)With Anderson representing England at the World Cup, a deal is unlikely before the tournament concludes, which could be as late as 19 July, if England go all the way… so there is every chance it will be sooner.
Even then, such high-value transfer negotiations are rarely swift, as seen by Declan Rice’s £105 million move to Arsenal from West Ham in 2023, which also did not conclude until mid-July.
As Forest ponder potential replacements for the midfielder, a lot of their summer business could be funded by a potential sale, and could be dependent on the timeframe of Anderson’s potential exit, especially any midfield additions.
Pereira has also revealed that his summer plans are with a focus on balance, not sheer numbers, owing to the reduced games Forest will play next season compared to last.
“What is in my mind is that we don’t need to change a lot of players,” he said, “We just need to balance the squad.
“We don’t need a big squad, because if you are not in European competitions you don’t need a big squad. But we need to have at least two players at a good level in each position - this is something we must work on.”
