Summer transfer window 2026

Is anyone else a bit disappointed that it is "only" £116m after all the talk of £130m?

Think of it as under half an Ndoye and you’ll be far less disappointed.

Everton linked with a move for Liam Delap. I know plenty on here disagree (maybe because he seems to perhaps be a bit of a cunt) but I still think he'd be a great fit for Forest and available at a decent price for his age and development phase.

If we were going to go for him, it would have to be now, when he’d have a year to learn from Chris Wood. You know, stuff like ‘putting yourself about a bit’ doesn’t mean ‘elbowing the centre half in the face’.

I thought he’d have been a really good signing this time last year. It’s unclear to me whether last season exposed his limitations or whether he’s just a victim of the Chelsea circus.

I think he may be this decade's equivalent to Francis Jeffers or Connor Wickham. Great early potential, big hype, not really translated into sustained quality at first team level and often struggling with fitness. I think he's might well just fade away, and Chelsea, having got him at discount, are rightly going to take the chance to get their money back (or even a small profit) while they are still able to trade on his "potential" and before that dissipates. We won't sign him and that's alright because we can do better. I actually think Everton already have better in Thierno Barry, even though so far he pretty much only scores against Forest.

The best centre forward I have seen us linked with is probably Santiago Castro. We have been hit and miss with Serie A players, but he may have the physicality and high-octane style to lead a Premier league line. He doesn't quite have the goals yet, but his scoring record for a 21 year old is good and he may well get better. If we don't sign him probably Brighton will.

Being linked with Curtis Jones, which doesn't fill me with joy.

Curtis Jones feels like a good signing to me. He's decent, young, knows the league etc.

So did McAtee.

'Hi Curtis, Nottingham Forest here. Arne Slot was a prick, wasn't he? Anyway, even though you could be playing under Iraola next season do you want to come to us and play manager roulette?'

Have been linked with the South African centre back who is built like Murillo anc can really pass. He is 20 years old and decent. Although red flag, plays for the Chicago Fire. Who has stepped up from MLS to the premier League? Landon Donovan I reckon. Almiron who is now gash. Could be a bargain. He looked pretty good in a pretty cack team.

Not tall like Murillo too but has the same attributes... but African.

Chicago: Not against it.

Is 25 young for a professional footballer? Only 87 league starts for a player entering his prime years seems like a red flag to me.

He's also played for England, won titles, good at playing at a high tempo, is exceptionally good at keeping the ball and very strong physically. Liverpool want to sell because he wants more games and they have McAllister, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai - so he's not going to be getting 30 starts a season with that lot unless the golf caddy they're all sitting in crashes. Inter want him but that's tied to Frattesi joining us. For <£40m he looks like an excellent option to me, and much lower risk tha Fratessi or Bergvall (or this latest midfielder named Christ from the Ivory Coast we have been linked with). From his perspective, he may well look at us and think: if I want to play every week in the Premier league, and have another tilt at England they might be a good option.

So it makes much sense. But that all said, Villa are also interested and this doesn't seem like the kind of rumour that is based on anything more concrete than us needing a new midfielder and him being available.

I'm not against Curtis Jones, I just don't remember seeing him play, so it's about other stuff. I thought he was younger than 25, which would have been fine with him having had played so few games.

Was at the cricket Saturday chatting to the friend I was sat next to and it turned out the guy sat on my other side was a Newcastle season ticket holder who got offended by my suggestion that they had regarded him as a 10/winger and said he was always a central midfielder (albeit he said Anderson was never going to displace their midfield triad and it had worked out better for all concerned for him to come here).

Also in Jones favour is that he played with MGW in the under 21 championship win and, presumably, has played a lot with Neco as they would have been the same age group at Liverpool. (Hopefully the former remains a factor next season.)

Ull, it seems.