© Reuters
Nottingham Forest famously made 30 signings last season – with the club's supporters going as far as to create a chant poking fun at the criticism they attracted for being so busy in the transfer market.
The Reds make no apologies for their actions, having successfully preserved their Premier League status, and have shown no sign of reining business in for 2023.
The City Ground arrivals lounge has been seeing plenty of footfall again, with some notable deals being done by a club that harbours ambition of doing much more than merely beating the drop. Forest have been drafting in players from every corner of the planet, from the Americas to Asia, and now boast plenty of African talent on their books.
Demanding
Nott'm Forest's in-form man 📈
— Premier League (@premierleague) August 18, 2023
Taiwo Awoniyi has now scored eight goals in his last six Premier League games 🔥 pic.twitter.com/I3cz5d5KsX
Fans in that part of the world are keeping a close eye on events in the East Midlands, and online sports betting from Lenton to Luanda now has the Reds priced at 3/1 to take a tumble through the trapdoor that leads into the Championship this season.
Steve Cooper is doing all he can to ensure that no backward steps are taken, with the highly rated tactician able to convince his board that it is always worth speculating in order to accumulate precious points in the most demanding of divisions.
Long-term plans are being drawn up on the banks of the Trent, and that means attention is already beginning to shift towards 2024. January will bring with it another recruitment window, but that is not where Forest's focus lies when it comes to the start of a new year.
Instead, the Reds are more concerned with how many players will be departing British shores when international calls are sent out.
Forest currently have seven players who have been capped by their respective nations in Africa on a regular basis. Within that pool sits top scorer Taiwo Awoniyi, commanding defender Moussa Niakhaté and buccaneering full-backs Ola Aina and Serge Aurier.
Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Senegal are all represented, and they intend to form part of the Africa Cup of Nations competition that is due to take place between January 13 and February 11, 2024.
The Premier League does now include a winter break of sorts, as fixtures become staggered at the start of a new calendar year, but there remains the potential for Forest to be without key men for four outings against Brentford, Arsenal, Bournemouth and Newcastle.
Threat
Your #TotalEnergiesAFCON Côte d'Ivoire 2023 host is ready. 🐘🇨🇮
— CAF (@CAF_Online) July 7, 2023
A mascot that you'll appreciate his personality, generosity, and most of all, his hospitality. World, meet 𝐀𝐤𝐰𝐚𝐛𝐚. 🧡 pic.twitter.com/oJkvb15yMN
With that in mind, the Reds have started to move away from African additions when it comes to the never-ending task of bolstering the ranks and raising collective standards.
Cooper needs to be aware of the threat posed by AFCON competition. He has worked hard on assembling a squad that is competitive among the elite and cannot afford to be left short after bringing so many fresh faces through the door.
January may be all about additions for some, but Forest are moving to ensure they have enough points and bodies on board that further transfer business becomes the least of their worries when established stars begin to head through the exits.
