Nottingham Forest were finally confirmed to be playing in the Europa League next season, with transfer plans set to accelerate in response to the news.
Forest fans felt sympathy for Crystal Palace supporters after the Reds took their place in the Europa League but after weeks of speculation and comments, both clubs can at least focus on the season ahead.
Almost immediately after the CAS decision broke, Forest agreed a deal to sign James McAtee which they’ll look to finalise ahead of Sunday’s Premier League opener against Brentford.
However, given that Forest already had targets in mind to pursue in the final weeks of August, Nottingham Forest News spoke to transfer expert Graeme Bailey to discover how the Europa League boost will impact the rest of the window.
Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis.
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
How Europa League boost impacts Nottingham Forest’s transfer business
After Forest signed Dan Ndoye, it was made clear that Nuno Espírito Santo still wanted additional players through the door to allow the Reds to compete in Europe.
The Europa League represents a step up in competition, but according to Bailey, Forest’s transfer plans were not dependent on the outcome of the CAS appeal.
🚨🌳 EXCLUSIVE: Nottingham Forest are closing in on James McAtee deal with Manchester City!
Agreement at the final stages for fee in excess of £20m, #NFFC confident to get it done… here we go, expected soon. pic.twitter.com/f2IaMqPHJF
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 11, 2025
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Bailey said: “Forest were not dependent on the appeal, their plans have not changed. They want a couple more wingers/creatives as well as full-backs but they had these targets before that.”
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Although Marinakis is set to loosen the purse strings after the Europa League confirmation, it’s good to see that the forward-thinking approach of the club has meant that target positions and players were in place regardless of the outcome.
Alongside McAtee, then, Forest can get themselves ready for the Europa League by securing three more key signings to support Espírito Santo’s squad.
Nottingham Forest are building a well-balanced squad
In terms of gaps, the Reds are lacking at full-back and potentially in attack, with targets set out by Edu and the recruitment staff already.
At left back, Forest are preparing a bid for Leif Davis of Ipswich Town, but will face competition from rival Premier League clubs for his signature.
On the right side, Forest are rivalling AC Milan for Jackson Tchatchoua, whose pace would provide a more direct, attacking option on the right compared to Aina.
If McAtee is secured as well as the rumoured interest in Adama Traoré, the Forest squad will be strong beyond the starting XI, providing Nuno with stronger options from the bench as well as the ability to refresh around European nights.