There are several ways in which promoted teams can approach their first transfer window in the Premier League.
One method is the path well worn by Norwich City, a more conservative approach to recruitment aiming to consolidate the squad that gained promotion and add in one or two fresh faces on cheaper deals or loans. For the Canaries, it has resulted in them becoming the proverbial yo-yo club; too good for the Championship, but not quite good enough to stay up.
Bournemouth, much to the apparent chagrin of former head coach Scott Parker, seem to have taken that approach this season. It remains to be seen how that will play out.
There is a middle ground, the route taken by Leeds United in 2020, where five to 10 additions of quality, from across the continent or from within the Premier League, are prioritised. Fulham – big spenders in past seasons, to little success – are testing that one out this time around.
Then, there always seems to be one of the promoted sides that turn around their squad on a grand scale. However, the scale of change seen at Nottingham Forest this time around has been unprecedented.
A whopping 20 (yes, twenty) first-team players had arrived before the deadline passed on September 1, and it would have been 21 had Forest pushed through a move for Chelsea outcast Michy Batshuayi in time. Steve Cooper relied heavily on loan players last season, most of whom left the club, but even still, the quantity of incomings has been remarkable.
Forest have already handed out 18 Premier League debuts this season (seven more than any other team) and could still make a 21st signing – free agent Serge Aurier is reportedly a target. For now, here's the 20 new faces Cooper can call on.
Goalkeeper
We'll start at the back, in the form of goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who signed on loan from Manchester United to replace the departing Brice Samba. While the latter was crucial last season, England international Henderson is an upgrade and came in as the club's second senior signing on July 2. He has already proved his worth, saving two penalties (one in a win over West Ham, the other in last week's loss to Tottenham). Wayne Hennessey signed from Burnley 13 days later to provide experienced competition.
Defence
The first defender through the door was right-back Giulian Biancone, and the 22-year-old was followed by coveted Mainz centre-back Moussa Niakhate for a reported fee of £8.5million (€9.8m) plus £4.2m (€4.8m) in potential add-ons. Full-backs Omar Richards, Neco Williams and Harry Toffolo arrived from Bayern Munich and Liverpool, but after three games Cooper wanted more. Renan Lodi watched Forest lose to Spurs before signing on loan from Atletico Madrid, underlining the pull of the Premier League and regular minutes in a World Cup year, with Willy Boly (Wolves, reported £2.25m) and Loic Bade (Rennes, loan) rounding off their defensive business.
Midfield
It took until July 20 for Forest to bolster their midfield, with Lewis O'Brien signing from Huddersfield Town. A day later, Forest's first marquee signing of the window arrived in the form of Jesse Lingard, who had left Manchester United following the expiration of his contract. Orel Mangala is an energetic holding player who has slotted straight in after signing from Stuttgart, with the versatile Cheikhou Kouyate an experienced free acquisition from Crystal Palace. Remo Freuler has played in the Champions League with Atalanta, and Forest went all-out for Morgan Gibbs-White, paying Wolves a reported £25m for the England youth international, with add-ons potentially taking the deal to £42.5m.
Attack
Goals win games, and Forest – who were thrashed 6-0 by champions Manchester City in a huge reality check last time out – have managed only two in the league this season despite their incomings. In Gibbs-White and Lingard they have added creativity, though their attack is yet to click. Taiwo Awoniyi scored 15 Bundesliga goals last term for Union Berlin and got Forest's winner against West Ham, though that is his only strike in five appearances so. Emmanuel Dennis' 10 goals were not enough to keep Watford up, but Forest were still willing to pay £20m to bring in the Nigerian, while they will be hoping Hwang Ui-jo replicates the 11 league goals he managed for Bordeaux in 2021-22. Winger Josh Bowler signed in a reported £4m deal from Blackpool Town just before the deadline.
Salah's contract 'up to him and the club', says Slot
Arne Slot has asserted Mohamed Salah’s future is “up to him and the club”.
The Liverpool star has yet to make a decision on whether to renew his contract, and as it stands, will be leaving Anfield at the end of the season.
Salah remains a key player for the Reds, and leads the club for Premier League goals (seven) and assists (five) this term.
He scored the winner in the 72nd minute to complete Liverpool’s comeback against Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday, as they moved to the top of the table.
And despite the question marks over Salah's future, Slot is not concerned.
"[His future] is not what I think about. The only thing I think about is he is so important for us. Scores important goals, works hard for the team," the Liverpool boss told TNT Sports.
"I’m hoping he can enjoy that feeling many, many, many more times. Especially if I’m here but also if I’m not here. I’m hoping he can do this many more times.
"He’s been incredible for Liverpool over the past eight years. He’s been incredible for us this season and I hope he can continue doing this for the rest of the season and maybe longer to come, but that’s up to him and the club to find the idea about the future."
Salah could be in for a historic night on Tuesday when Liverpool face Bayer Leverkusen, having scored in each of his last five Champions League appearances at Anfield.
The last player to score in six consecutive home games in the competition for an English club was Ruud van Nistelrooy for Manchester United in April 2003.
Salah sparked renewed talk over his future after posting on Instagram on Sunday, saying that the feeling of scoring at Anfield would remain unforgettable “no matter what happens.”
But Slot was keen to quash any deeper meaning in the post.
"I haven’t spoken to him about that. You interpreted it in a way that maybe other people don’t," he told the press.
"I don’t look at Instagram posts of my players, I only talk to them which you can’t, which is the advantage I have.
"Mo is in a very good place at the moment. As long as he has been at Liverpool, he has been in a very good place, but this season again as well. I am hoping he will make a post after tomorrow and on Saturday again. What he said with that, that is not important.
"For me what is important is how he plays and what he tells me when we have conversations. That is what matters and not how you guys interpret one of his posts."
Neymar suffers fresh injury blow
Neymar sustained a new injury as he was forced off during Al-Hilal's AFC Champions League Elite win over Esteghlal.
Aleksandar Mitrovic plundered a hat-trick on Monday to seal a 3-0 win.
But Al-Hilal's victory was soured by an injury to Neymar, who had to make way just 29 minutes after he came on as a second-half substitute.
The Brazilian, who has just returned from over a year out of action following a serious knee injury, was forced off with what appeared to be a thigh issue.
Indeed, Monday's appearance was only the 32-year-old's second for Al-Hilal since his comeback.
He has featured just seven times for the Saudi Pro League champions in all competitions since his big-money move from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.
Rodgers delighted as Celtic rout Aberdeen in semi-final
Celtic booked their place in the Scottish League Cup final after hammering Aberdeen 6-0 at Hampden Park on Saturday.
The 21-time winners of the tournament were inspired by a Daizen Maeda hat-trick in a near-perfect performance against the Scottish Premiership's second-placed side.
Manager Brendan Rodgers was delighted with the result and performance from his side.
"It was a testament to our players and the demands they have. They play every week in big games. We have to manage this group through every game," he told Premier Sports.
"It was up to us to decide the game and the players did that. They were brilliant today. We were more aggressive in the second half.
"Aberdeen have had an excellent season, they will continue to work well I'm sure."
The result was Aberdeen's first defeat in 17 matches in all competitions this season, with a 2-2 draw at Celtic Park last month the only time they had previously failed to win.
Cameron Carter-Vickers got the scoring under way with a header 29 minutes in, before the brilliant Maeda sat down goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov to set up Kyogo Furuhashi for a second three minutes later.
Maeda then got in on the act himself on 40 minutes before the game briefly descended into farce on the stroke of half-time, with Rodgers shown a yellow card for kicking away a ball that had gone out before slipping over.
"To be fair, I was raging because we had given the ball away," he said.
"I have my moments, like every manager. It was just the game, even though we were comfortable at 3-0.
"It was a deserved yellow card. The speed of the ball [was the issue]. I just wanted to keep the tempo of the game."
Celtic and Maeda picked up where they left off in the second half to make it 4-0 in the 50th minute before Nicolas Kuhn hammered in a fifth on the hour.
The rout was complete when Maeda wrapped up his hat-trick as he finished off a flowing attacking move with five minutes to go.
After the match, Rodgers continued to be effusive about his team, who will face either Rangers or Motherwell in the final.
"An outstanding team performance. You come up against a team that has been so, so good. We knew it would be a challenge," he told BBC Scotland.
"We had to bring our A-game and the players did that, in particular during the second half.
"We were ruthless. We worked the ball really well to create the space and made good runs.
"It's a beautiful pitch here at Hampden. It's perfect for the football we want to play."
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