Nottingham Forest were active in the transfer market this summer, but they took a more cautious approach to the transactions that were completed.
A total of 11 new players were recruited to the squad, with two of them – Marko Stamenic and David Carmo – joining Olympiacos on a season-long loan.
The average age of the roster has been reduced, with a focus on players who appear to be younger and have a high resale value.
The major component in this summer’s recruitment effort was that everyone seemed to be on the same page.
Forest was able to shed almost 20 surplus players, and just Emmanuel Dennis remains as a member of the bomb squad, which was previously overcrowded.
Elliot Anderson’s deal stood out. He checked in for £35 million from Newcastle, with both teams eager to fulfill the Premier League’s PSR criteria.
Why Evangelos Marinakis drove the deal to sign Elliot Anderson.
It may surprise you that Marinakis was the driving force behind the deal to sign Anderson from Newcastle, given that the owner is more suited to signing foreign players.
However, according to the Daily Mail, Marinakis was solely responsible for chasing Anderson, and he was eager to close the deal.
According to reports, the owner pushed for the signing of the England under-21 international because he sees him as a suitable alternative for Morgan Gibbs-White if the latter leaves.
Anderson can play as a number 10, although in his tenure at Forest, he has mostly played out wide or in central midfield.
Gibbs-White was kept at Forest this summer, and there is now no chance of the England international leaving the club.
However, that moment may come in the future, and Anderson appears to have signed with the future in mind.
Anderson already seems like money well spent.
Although £35 million may appear to be a large sum, there is more to consider. Odysseas Vlachodimos moved to Newcastle for £20 million to help offset the number.
Forest clearly got the better end of the deal in that transaction, and Anderson already appears to be a talented youngster.
He rapidly established himself in the club under Nuno Espirito Santo, and his work effort has been a key strength of his game thus far.
Anderson is only 21, therefore Forest has locked him down before of his finest years in the game – and Newcastle’s loss is obvious.
The Reds will provide Anderson more opportunities to play regular football in the first team, and it is already thrilling to see what he can accomplish with the club.
