Nuno Espirito Santo was very clear about what Nottingham Forest required heading into the final days of the transfer window.
“As long as we bring what we need before the end of the market, I think we are going to be OK,” the Portuguese said last week. He had already identified full-back as an area in need of strengthening while also stating his wish for another goalkeeper.
John Victor duly arrived to tick off the latter point, then Cuiabano and Oleksandr Zinchenko put pen to paper on deadline day to bolster the full-back ranks. Winger Dilane Bakwa also came through the City Ground doors in the final hours of the window to provide another option out wide.
The Reds filled the gaps Nuno had identified, and then some. The squad the Portuguese now has at his disposal is an incredibly strong one - one which should be capable of giving it a good go on multiple fronts.
“We have worked extensively all summer to ensure we have a competitive squad that has a blend of youth and experience, ready to compete in all competitions,” chief football officer Ross Wilson said when it was all over. Forest have a dressing room packed with quality and potential - now it’s all about how Nuno makes the most of it.
“What a day,” owner Evangelos Marinakis’ son, Miltiadis, posted on social media early on Monday alongside a picture of Sky Sports’ coverage of deadline day. A few hours later he uploaded a photo of the club’s transfer team featuring Wilson, head of recruitment Pedro Ferreira and global technical director George Syrianos.
Forest are hard at work, seemed to be the message. It hasn’t always been an easy window - and deadline day, in particular, was not without its drama - but patience and persistence have paid off.
Getting deals done has taken time this time around, much to Nuno’s irritation. Before the start of the season, he delivered a brutal assessment on the slow pace of business. He wanted players in early, as is his preference, to give them an opportunity to gel and to bed in.
Nuno might not have got his wish on that front, and it remains to be seen whether the rift between him and global head of football Edu can be repaired. But the Reds head coach should still be licking his lips at the prospect of working with the group the club have put together.
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Forest already had the crux of a very good team in place, following last season’s stunning exploits. Other than Anthony Elanga, they have kept the core of that group together - and they have built on those foundations.
Areas of the pitch have been upgraded, with plenty of cover and competition now on the books. They now have a solid bench, as well as an impressive first XI.
Keeping players happy might be a challenge for Nuno, and is one reason why he prefers to work with a small group. A move to Sporting Lisbon for Jota Silva apparently collapsed right at the death on Monday, while it remains to be seen what part Taiwo Awoniyi will play after he was linked with a return to Germany.
Some windows do remain open so there is always the possibility of further exits. But for the most part, Nuno now knows the group he will have to work with - at least until January.
Some positions took longer to sort than others. Forest had several wingers on their radar before Bakwa signed; likewise, they looked at a number of full-backs. Javi Galan had appeared poised to sign from Atletico Madrid late on Monday, but Spanish newspaper Marca have claimed the Reds ‘pulled out’ right at the death.
This was always going to be a big window Trentside ahead of the club’s return to European competition. They needed to get it right. Last term’s seventh-placed finish and run to the semi-finals of the FA Cup had provided a real platform.
Feuds, frustrations and uncertain futures rather dominated the latter stages of the window. After a couple of outbursts from Nuno, he has done his best to offer an olive branch by striking a conciliatory tone in recent press conferences. Meanwhile, Marinakis insisted any issues could be sorted out when he spoke at the Europa League draw last week.
“We are all together, united. We will make some corrective actions and everything will be smooth and ready to go,” he said, before insisting Nuno remained the right man for the job.
Clear-the-air talks will take place between owner and manager during this international break. It is to be hoped Forest will then be able to move forward, because everything points to an exciting campaign ahead.
Whatever happens, the challenge has been set. Marinakis has backed the man in the hot seat to the tune of near £200 million (roughly £180m), in terms of new recruits. Having supplied plentiful tools with which to work, the Greek businessman may well now be thinking: "Over to you, Nuno."
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