Midfielder Ryan Yates says players need to “step up” to match Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis’ show of ambition.
The Reds are little more than a week away from their return to the Premier League, with a trip to Newcastle United first up on August 6. And after a 23-year exile, the club have made clear their aim is to establish themselves at that level.
That has been backed up by a summer spending spree to bolster a squad which had lost five key loanees as well as Lewis Grabban and Brice Samba. More than £70m has been splashed out so far, as 11 new faces have come through the door.
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Former Manchester United ace Jesse Lingard is among them, in what was a statement signing for Forest. Yates admits it is up to the team now to repay that level of investment by upping standards on the pitch.
“It shows you the ambitions of the owner. He’s putting his money where his mouth is,” the 24-year-old told NottinghamshireLive.
“It’s easy to say, ‘we’re going to invest’. But he certainly is.
“The players here need to recognise that and step their game up, because football can be cruel if not. That’s what it’s all about, we’re playing for our shirts and we want that healthy competition.
“We want players coming in in our positions. If you’re good enough, you’re going to play and you’re going to raise your game. That’s what’s going to get us winning football matches. I’m so, so excited. Let’s just attack it.”
In addition to Lingard, the Reds have brought in Taiwo Awoniyi, Dean Henderson, Giulian Biancone, Moussa Niakhate, Omar Richards, Neco Williams, Wayne Hennessey, Lewis O’Brien and Harry Toffolo. Brandon Aguilera has also put pen to paper but headed straight out on loan, being seen as one for the future.
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