Nottingham Forest have an important pre-season ahead under new head coach Oliver Glasner
nottinghampost
07:00, 14 Jul 2026
Nottingham Forest will hope Oliver Glasner can repeat the success he enjoyed at Crystal Palace
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Nottingham Forest will hope Oliver Glasner can repeat the success he enjoyed at Crystal Palace
The countdown to the big kick-off is on now Nottingham Forest are back for pre-season and Oliver Glasner is in the building.
The Reds reported for duty at the Nigel Doughty Academy on Monday and met their new head coach for the first time. Glasner will spend the next six weeks working with his group, trying to ensure they are ready to go when Leeds United visit the City Ground for the opening game of the Premier League campaign on August 22.
It was already an important summer for Forest before the managerial change was made. The club want to avoid being in another relegation battle and are eager to get back to challenging for the European places.
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Glasner has some solid foundations to build upon after a chaotic 2025/26 term ended strongly under Vitor Pereira. So far, though, the Reds are yet to add to their ranks amid a quiet start to the transfer window.
Nevertheless, there is plenty going on Trentside ahead of Saturday’s opening friendly against Notts County at Meadow Lane (3pm kick-off). Forest reporter Sarah Clapson answers some of the key questions as the club’s new era begins…
Why no signings?
Patience! This squad didn’t require a major overhaul before Glasner’s appointment and nothing has changed with the Austrian’s arrival.
Pereira spoke about wanting only a handful of additions when he discussed potential transfer business at the end of last term. Glasner referencing the “potential” in the dressing room in his appointment announcement is testament to how his opinion is similar.
There is a talented contingent already in place. Indeed, chairman Nicholas Randall KC underlined how the club’s priority is to keep hold of their core group in his open letter last month.
“Our intention is to retain the core of this talented squad while strengthening in key areas during the summer transfer window,” he said. “We remain committed to bringing players of genuine quality to Nottingham Forest, but equally important are the personal qualities and character that reflect the values and culture of our football club.”
The focus is on quality over quantity. Taking the time to bring in the right additions is preferable to spending for the sake of it, simply to have new faces through the door.
In an idea world, of course, deals get done quickly. Every club would love to have their business completed before pre-season begins to give managers and players maximum time to work together.
Rarely does a window pan out like that, though, and this summer there is the added complexity of it being a World Cup year. There is certainly no need for panic over a lack of additions, with plenty of time for the Reds to bring in the targets they want.
What are Forest looking for in the transfer market?
Players who can help them push on, is the simple answer. There is no need for a huge squad this coming season but having competition for places is important.
Going back to that transfer plan outlined by Randall, bringing in players who can slot into the dressing room is as important as recruiting signings with quality. Unity and togetherness will once again be crucial as the Reds bid to climb the Premier League table.
Forest have a pot of cash to spend, and they will want to use it wisely. They have been a little haphazard in the past, but sensible and considered business is now the order of the day.
Clubs will know the Reds have money - Elliot Anderson’s £116m move to Manchester City wasn’t exactly a secret - so they may well look to exploit that. Quality doesn’t come cheap but being alert to overpriced deals would be a wise move.
Where do Forest need to strengthen?
Midfield is a priority. Anderson has left a significant hole and big boots to fill; finding someone to replace him was never going to be easy.
Recruiting a midfielder was on the agenda in January but didn’t come off - albeit it wasn’t for the lack of trying. The Reds have continued to keep an eye on targets they had in mind back then, in Celtic’s Arne Engels and Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi, but other options have also emerged. The number of names being linked shows how far the club are casting the net and how important filling this particular void is.
There has been talk of Forest potentially looking to bring in two midfielders. To that end, a younger player with the potential to improve and an experienced head would make sense.
As for other positions, the defensive department is ripe for a bit of attention. After all, there is the likelihood of a formation change to be taken into account.
Whereas Pereira generally stuck with a 4-2-3-1 formation, Glasner prefers to utilise a back three and wing-backs. Of the centre-backs currently on the books, Morato and Jair Cunha have been the subject of some speculation while it might be youngsters Zach Abbott and Tyler Bindon are best served by loan spells.
A number of centre-backs had already been linked with moves to the City Ground prior to Glasner’s appointment. The managerial change ties into the club looking to bolster that part of the pitch.
Given there is uncertainty over the future of Nicolo Savona, the Reds could also do with a full-back. And with Matz Sels and John Victor the only two senior goalkeepers, Glasner may feel another option between the posts is required.
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What is the aim under Glasner?
Silverware. Silverware and success. The Austrian has been brought in with the express intent of adding to the club’s trophy cabinet.
Outsiders tend to have the view of owner Evangelos Marinakis being rash and only too happy to wield the axe. Every decision he makes, however, is with the aim of taking Forest to the top - and this one is no different. Quotes from the Greek businessman in Glasner’s appointment announcement said as much.
Marinakis twice used the word “success” when discussing the managerial change. He used “ambition” twice, too, and spoke of how Glasner’s “relentless desire to succeed” tallied with his own aims.
Pereira did the job he was brought in to do, in steering the Reds to safety. Some may well feel he has been hard done by.
Glasner, though, is viewed as an upgrade and someone to take the club to the next level. Forest want to be back playing in Europe; Marinakis does not want last term’s Europa League exploits to be a one-off.
Glasner already has a substantial list of honours under his belt from his time in management. As much as he can be outspoken and tends to not beat around the bush in interviews, the word from people who have worked with him at Crystal Palace is that he is someone who genuinely cares.
As ever with Forest, expect this coming season to be one of thrills and spills one way or another. After all, it is never dull at the City Ground.
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Nottingham Forest reporter Sarah Clapson
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