Nottingham Forest's Strategic Summer: Building a Smaller, Sharper Squad

Nottingham Forest have spent the summer doing something almost unfashionable in the modern Premier League: slowing down.

After years of churn and frantic window-to-window rebuilding, Oliver Glasner has chosen the opposite route. No scattergun spree. No late scramble to fill a bloated dressing room. Just a small, sharp squad built to his specifications.

A smaller squad, a clearer idea

Glasner has always preferred working with a tight group, and Forest’s business reflects that. The club have resisted the temptation to repeat last summer’s flood of signings, opting instead for targeted upgrades.

Liam Delap is the headline arrival at £50m, a fee that underlines how firmly Forest see him as their future through the middle. He steps into the role long occupied by Chris Wood, but with a very different brief: to press, stretch defences and grow into a long-term focal point rather than serve as a short-term stopgap.

For Delap, this is also a reset. His time at Chelsea stalled badly, his development lost in the crowd. At Forest, regular minutes and a clearly defined role offer the chance to rebuild rhythm and confidence in a side that will be built to supply him.

Diomande and the new defensive spine

Behind him, Ousmane Diomande’s £34m move answers a different question: how do Forest turn a promising back line into a reliable one?

Glasner wants him in a back three alongside Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic, a blend of youth, aggression and experience that should give Forest a stronger platform than at any point in recent seasons. Diomande brings composure on the ball and the athleticism to defend big spaces, crucial for a coach who likes his teams to step up and squeeze the pitch.

On the right, Daniel Munoz has followed Glasner from Crystal Palace, a trusted lieutenant arriving with a clear understanding of the manager’s demands. His presence immediately puts pressure on Ola Aina, whose place at right-back is no longer guaranteed. That kind of internal competition is exactly what Glasner wants: fewer bodies, higher standards.

Trust and familiarity in midfield

In midfield, Xaver Schlager is another familiar face. Glasner knows exactly what he is getting from their time together at Wolfsburg: intensity, tactical discipline, and a player who can knit together transitions without fuss.

Forest have not brought in a like-for-like, headline-grabbing replacement for Elliot Anderson, whose departure leaves a creative gap. Instead, Glasner has opted for trust and structure. Schlager may not dominate the back pages, but he gives the manager a fulcrum he believes in.

No Europe, no excuses

One factor looms large over all of this: there is no European football this season.

Last year’s run to the Europa League semi-finals was exhilarating but brutal. By the time Forest faced Aston Villa in the second leg, the squad looked stripped bare, physically and mentally. The heavy defeat underlined the cost of stretching a group that far.

This time, the calendar is kinder. Without midweek European trips, a slimmer squad suddenly looks sustainable. Training can be sharper, recovery more controlled, selection more consistent. Glasner’s preference for a compact group makes far more sense when the fixture list eases off.

A different kind of Forest summer

Perhaps the most striking change is the sense of continuity. After 13 arrivals last summer, this window feels almost restrained. Faces are familiar, partnerships can grow, and the manager no longer has to weld together an entirely new dressing room on the fly.

Glasner has been clear: he is not a magician, and nobody should expect instant transformation. That caveat still stands. But now, for the first time since Forest’s return to the Premier League, he has the tools, the time and the stability to shape a team in his own image.

The era of quantity at the City Ground might finally be over. What Forest do with this leaner, more deliberate version of themselves will define what comes next.