Steve Cooper has underlined owner Evangelos Marinakis’ sense of ambition as Nottingham Forest prepare for their return to the Premier League.
The Greek businessman has bankrolled a summer spending spree to prepare the Reds for top-flight football. Eleven new faces have been brought in so far, with more still being targeted as Cooper puts his squad together.
Since promotion was achieved at Wembley in May, Forest have made clear they don’t just want to survive at the next level, they want to establish themselves there. Marinakis has backed his manager in the transfer market in a bid to achieve that.
READ MORE: Forest boss provides injury update as key duo return against Notts
READ MORE: How the Reds rated against the Magpies
A rebuild was always going to be necessary, given the number of departures from the City Ground - including the five key loanees who returned to their parent clubs, and the likes of Lewis Grabban and Brice Samba moving on. But while the number of new additions, and particularly the arrival of former Manchester United ace Jesse Lingard, have put the club firmly in the spotlight, Cooper says the owner’s support has always been there.
“He’s backed the club anyway,” the Reds head coach told NottinghamshireLive. “It’s probably just a little bit more public, if you like, that people are taking notice. But he’s never been short of wanting to support the club and invest in the club.
“It’s just a little bit more in the public eye now, because of the league we are in. The owner is as ambitious as they come, and we’ve got to make sure that, first with me, that I match that and try to feed that through the club as much as we can.”
Lingard could make his debut in the final friendly before the new campaign begins, when Forest face Valencia at Meadow Lane on Saturday. Giulian Biancone was the only one of the summer signings to feature in the 2-2 draw with Notts County on Tuesday night, with Cooper naming a match squad largely made up of younger and fringe players.
The game did, however, see Sam Surridge and Ryan Yates make their returns from injury. The duo played the first 45 minutes against the Magpies.
What have you made of Forest's transfer business? Have your say in the comments below
READ NEXT:
