Elliot Anderson has left a huge hole at the heart of the Nottingham Forest side, and one which Oliver Glasner is yet to fill after his summer appointment at the City Ground.
The departure of the England international for a reported £116m is the highest in the club’s history and presents the opportunity to vastly improve the senior ranks.
Only Xaver Schlager, Steven Benda and Ousmane Diomande are the only players to arrive in the East Midlands to date, with supporters starting to get concerned around the lack of additions.
The former of the trio has been brought in to improve the midfield department, but started on the bench for the season opener as the manager opted for a different partnership.
Why Forest still need to sign a midfielder this summer
After Anderson’s departure, Glasner has opted to utilise last summer’s £30m addition James McAtee in a deep-lying position rather than his preferred number ten role.
The 23-year-old featured for 74 minutes of the opening-day defeat and looked neat in spells, but it was evident he was a player operating in a somewhat unfamiliar role.
He did manage to win 75% of the ground duels he entered at the City Ground, whilst also creating the most chances and completing the most forward passes of any Reds player.
However, his stature and suitability to the role have come into question in recent weeks, with some fans not totally convinced by his role in front of the backline.
|
James McAtee – stats against Leeds United |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics |
Tally |
|
Minutes played |
74 |
|
Touches |
51 |
|
Pass accuracy |
86% |
|
Chances created |
3 |
|
Passes into final third |
7 |
|
Ground duels won |
75% |
|
Fouls won |
2 |
|
Ball recoveries |
5 |
£35m man Ibrahim Sangare also started against Daniel Farke’s men and will likely maintain such a position throughout the remainder of the 2026/27 campaign.
Nicolas Dominguez and Ryan Yates also remain squad options for Glasner, but both players will likely rely on cup competitions and injuries to gain valuable minutes.
After Anderson’s departure, it was expected the club would spend big on a replacement, but despite the lack of activity – now is the time to make their move and land a top-level operator.
How Forest can land the perfect Anderson replacement
Despite Lucas Bergvall being a long-standing target for Forest, a move for the Swedish international now appears to be off the table after Tottenham Hotspur boss Roberto De Zerbi’s latest comments.
After the 3-0 defeat to Brentford, he confirmed that the 20-year-old would be staying with the Lilywhites despite the £185m additions of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.
As a result, other targets will have to be considered before the September 1st deadline, with Barcelona star Marc Casado emerging as a surprise midfield option.
The latest on a possible move has been delivered by TEAMtalk, who state that the Reds are currently leading the race to land the Spanish star – who’s free to leave the LaLiga giants.
Their report also claims that competition is high for the 22-year-old’s signature, with Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion all making contact for his services.
Despite their report not mentioning a potential transfer fee, other articles have previously stated that a fee in the region of £30m would be needed to secure a deal.
Such a fee could prove to be a bargain for Casado should he continue his development at the City Ground, with the youngster already an established top-level talent.
His stats from LaLiga last campaign showcase his quality at both ends of the pitch – which could make him the perfect replacement for the recently departed Anderson.
The Barca star managed to achieve a 91% pass completion rate in Spain’s top-flight last season, whilst also averaging an impressive average of 1.3 chances created per 90.
Both of the aforementioned figures ranked him in the top 15% of midfielders in Europe last term, subsequently showcasing his ability to control the game from deep.
Even without the ball, Casado managed to catch the eye, subsequently winning 60% of his ground duels, whilst making an impressive 1.7 tackles per 90.
His box-to-box nature could be perfect at the heart of Glasner’s side, whilst also allowing the youngster to continue his progression in Europe away from his boyhood club.
Should he get anywhere near Anderson’s levels at the City Ground, it would be yet another phenomenal piece of business by the Forest hierarchy.
Such a move would also solve another key piece of the manager’s puzzle in the East Midlands and set the club up for a potential season to remember in 2026/27.
