Players in good spirits under new coach Glasnerpublished at 13:04 BST
13:04 BST
Charlie Slater BBC East Midlands reporter
Passion is a good word to describe Oliver Glasner's approach to coaching his new Nottingham Forest side.
His distinctive Austrian accent fills the warm Portuguese air at the club's temporary training ground and his energy appears boundless as they approach the end of a two-week stay on the Algarve.
On the pitch, the players appear keen to match the tempo of their new boss - high press, high energy, high speed. While away from football, a padel racquet is the weapon of choice for winding down in the land of a thousand golf courses.
Glasner's existing squad is almost in place - only Switzerland international Dan Ndoye is still to return - and there is hope and expectation that his ranks could be bolstered by approximately four new signings.
Passion is Glasner's approach and optimism is its outcome.
Gossip: Royale Union Saint-Gilloise reject bid for Khalaili from Forestpublished at 06:52 BST
06:52 BST
Nottingham Forest have had a 20m euro offer for 21-year-old Israel international Anan Khalaili, who can play as a right-sided wing-back or winger, rejected by Belgian club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise. (Athletic - subscription required), external
Nottingham Forest are in line to sign Portuguese midfielder Gustavo Sa from Famalicao, with the 21-year-old then expected to move to Greek side Olympiakos on loan. (Athletic - subscription required), external
Referees call for VAR tweakpublished at 07:23 BST 29 July
07:23 BST 29 July
Image source, Getty Images
Video assistant referees should only be used to change "blatantly incorrect" decisions and clear missed incidents, say European refereeing officials.
Chief refereeing officers from all 55 European national football associations met last week with Uefa refereeing officials and a representative from the International Football Association Board (Ifab) to address recent changes to the game's laws.
Attendees said "lengthy, microscoping reviews" indicate VAR has gone beyond its original scope.
When VAR was added to the laws of the game in 2018 by football's rulemakers Ifab, its "philosophy" was "minimum interference - maximum benefit", with the intention of reducing "unfairness caused by clear and obvious errors or serious missed incidents" relating to goals, penalties, direct red cards and mistaken identity.
Uefa said that at its recent meeting that refereeing bosses agreed a return to those original aims is needed.
"It was reiterated that, in accordance with protocol, VAR must only intervene in situations of 'clear and obvious' error, ie. when a referee decision is blatantly incorrect or when the referee has missed a clear incident," Uefa said in a statement.
"VAR is not meant to re-referee the game, it is an essential support to the referees, who must remain at the centre of all decision-making.
"Lengthy, microscoping reviews are often a symptom revealing that the decision on the field was not clearly and obviously incorrect, and should therefore be limited."
Fans torn between 'more firepower' and a 'creative midfielder'published at 17:38 BST 28 July
17:38 BST 28 July
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We asked for your views on whether Nottingham Forest need to dip into the transfer market for a new striker this summer, with Igor Jesus, Taiwo Awoniyi and Arnaud Kalimuendo already finding the target in pre-season.
Here are some of your comments:
Josh: I think we could do with more firepower in the squad, as I don't think the quality is currently there, but I don't want to see any of the current strikers leave. Igor on paper is the best we've currently got, Kalimuendo deserves a chance after being outcast last season, and I would be sad to see Taiwo or Wood leave. But if the right player is available at the right price, we should go for it.
Peter: We have enough firepower with the strikers we have. Why pay an inflated price for a fifth striker? A right-sided wing-back, a centre-back (Ousmane Diomande) and a goalkeeper to back up Matz Sels - and we are good to go. Any of Sangare, Dominguez and Schlager can be our two in midfield.
Chris: Yes we do, but not Liam Delap. There is no rush yet though.
Robert: The focus needs to be on replacing Bakwa, Ndoye, Hudson-Odoi and McAtee, who all failed to create anything last season. I back all of the Forest strikers to score, if we get a decent creative midfielder.
David: I don't think a striker is top of our wanted list. We already have a fit Wood, Jesus and Awoniyi. Plus giving Kalimuendo a chance to show what he can do is better than rumours of us buying Beto. We need to get the deals done for a midfielder, a wing-back and a centre-back, plus we still need another goalkeeper. Tie Neco Williams down with a five-year contract as well and we should be in the top seven.
Sangare pens new Forest dealpublished at 15:38 BST 28 July
15:38 BST 28 July
Nick Mashiter Football reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Nottingham Forest midfielder Ibrahim Sangare has signed a new three-year deal.
The Ivory Coast international, who played for his country at the summer's World Cup, is now tied to the City Ground until 2029.
Sangare, 28, joined from PSV for £30m in 2023 and played 43 times in all competitions for Forest last season.
"I'm delighted to sign the new contract," he said.
"It's a good moment too for me to thank the fans. Last season wasn't always easy, but they were always with us and I have always felt their support.
"It's been three years here and it has become a family for me in that time. I feel good, I have learned a lot, and worked hard to get to this point. I'm really looking forward to working with the new coach and for the season to start."
Sangare, who started his career at Toulouse, has made 77 appearances, scoring twice, and helped Forest beat relegation last season and reach the semi finals of the Europa League.
Strikers scoring - but do Nottingham Forest need to dip into the market?published at 13:34 BST 28 July
13:34 BST 28 July
Image source, Getty Images
Nottingham Forest have marked a clean slate under new head coach Oliver Glasner by going on a three-game unbeaten run at the start of their pre-season fixture schedule.
The Reds kicked things off with a 2-0 win over neighbours Notts County, followed by a convincing 3-0 victory against Championship side Blackburn, and they shared a 1-1 draw with Vitoria de Guimaraes in a behind closed doors friendly.
Having failed to score in 14 Premier League games last season, compared to just eight games in 2024-25, the scorelines are a small sign of goalscoring promise ahead of next season.
Chris Wood was a notable miss last season after picking up a knee injury which kept him out of action for six months, having scored 20 goals in 36 Premier League games in 2024-25 - 13 more goals than any other Forest player.
But it is fellow senior strikers Igor Jesus, Taiwo Awoniyi and Arnaud Kalimuendo who have stepped up to the plate so far in pre-season.
The trio have shared out the goals so far, with Jesus scoring in all three games, Kalimuendo finding the back of the net twice and Awoniyi bagging against Blackburn.
Wood is the only senior striker to not appear on the scoresheets as yet, although he joined pre-season slightly later after representing New Zealand at the World Cup.
So, taking all of the above into account, do Nottingham Forest need to dip into the transfer market for a new striker this summer or are the current crop showing what they can offer? If you think business is needed, who would be top of your priority list?
English football set for key goalkeeper trialpublished at 06:59 BST 28 July
06:59 BST 28 July
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English football is set to implement a trial to try to eradicate the goalkeeper tactical timeout this season, BBC Sport can reveal.
The Football Association, Premier League, English Football League, National League and Women's Super League have agreed on the measure, pending permission from the International Football Association Board (Ifab).
Earlier this year, Ifab decided against changing the law and invited leagues to volunteer for trials.
Pro Ref, led by chief refereeing officer Howard Webb, has been in discussions with the leagues to determine how to tackle the issue. It settled on a team having to remove an outfield player from the field.
If a referee signals that the physio can come on to treat a goalkeeper, the coach will have 10 seconds to nominate another player to leave the pitch for one minute, telling the fourth official of their choice.
If no player has been selected within 10 seconds, the captain must leave the field.
'Let's keep progressing' - Yates on new boss and team-matepublished at 12:50 BST 27 July
12:50 BST 27 July
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Nottingham Forest captain Ryan Yates believes new head coach Oliver Glasner can bring "really exciting times" to the City Ground, and says new signing Xaver Schlager is "going to fit in" with the rest of the first-team squad.
Yates, 28, is a product of the club's academy set-up and has amassed 277 senior appearances for the Reds.
"We have a really friendly and welcoming dressing room," Yates told the club's YouTube channel, external. "I was sat with him [Xaver Schlager] on the bus a couple of days ago on the way to one of his first training sessions.
"I was picking his brains about the manager and what he had done previously himself. He is really positive, he is going to fit in and he will be a big part of what we do."
On working under Glasner, Yates added: "It has been super positive for me. He has brought in some new ideas that I haven't come across yet in my career.
"These are really exciting times. I'm looking forward to improving a lot, not just individually but also collectively as a team. We've got off to a really good start, so let's keep progressing."
Nottingham Forest are yet to lose a game in pre-season, having claimed a 2-0 victory over Notts County, a 3-0 win over Blackburn and a draw with Vitoria de Guimaraes.
Forest settle for 1-1 draw to continue unbeaten pre-season runpublished at 08:58 BST 27 July
08:58 BST 27 July
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Nottingham Forest continued their pre-season preparations in Portugal with a 1-1 draw against Vitoria de Guimaraes in a behind closed doors friendly.
Igor Jesus made it three goals in three pre-season games by reacting quickest to Ola Aina's effort inside the penalty area just 27 minutes in, before Miguel Nogueira scored a second-half penalty for the Primeira Liga side.
The 25-year-old striker, who scored 16 goals last season, continued his fine form under new boss Oliver Glasner as both sides battled in the Algarve heat.
The Reds are in the middle of a 12-day training camp in Portugal which will conclude on Friday with a behind-closed-doors fixture against Portimonense (11:00 BST) and an encounter with Sporting in front of supporters (19:45 BST).
Know-how and solidity - Schlager joins as Glasner makes his markpublished at 07:22 BST 24 July
07:22 BST 24 July
Nick Mashiter Football reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Xaver Schlager is not part of a Nottingham Forest rebuild - the Reds certainly do not need that - but it is immediately apparent Oliver Glasner is making his mark on the squad.
Schlager played for Glasner at Wolfsburg and the Austrian taking charge at the City Ground and his influence have clearly helped in the move for the midfielder.
Forest always wanted two midfielders to help replace Elliot Anderson and Schlager offers good experience with no transfer fee.
With over half a century of caps for Austria, Schlager will deliver know-how and help solidify Forest's midfield after Anderson's exit. Anderson's influence at Forest was key and it would be unfair to expect the same impact from the 28-year-old, at least straight away.
Glasner was confident Forest would have signings join them on camp in Portugal this week and Tottenham's Lucas Bergvall remains the top midfield target.
Forest are still chasing the Sweden international and he would be viewed as the main replacement for Anderson, should he eventually move to the City Ground.
It is about quality this summer and Forest have already set their stall out by moving for Glasner to replace Vitor Pereira earlier this month.
Midfielder Schlager becomes Glasner's first Forest signingpublished at 14:50 BST 23 July
14:50 BST 23 July
Nick Mashiter Football reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Austria international Xaver Schlager has become Oliver Glasner's first signing at Nottingham Forest.
The midfielder moves to the City Ground on a free transfer and has signed a two-year deal after leaving RB Leipzig.
He has spent the past four seasons at Leipzig, where he was vice captain, and has previously played for Red Bull Salzburg, Wolfsburg - where he worked with Glasner - and Austrian side Liefering.
Schlager said: "It is a huge honour to join Nottingham Forest. It is a very traditional club with a big history, winning two European Cups under Brian Clough.
"I wanted a new challenge and to join a club with good players, and I am happy to be reunited with Oliver, who I know from my time at Wolfsburg.
"The club has big ambitions and so do I. I want to be back in European competitions and we have a good chance. It is the best feeling to play internationally during the week, and I want to achieve that."
Schlager started all four games for Austria at the World Cup and has 55 caps for his country. He won the Austrian Bundesliga with Salzburg four times.
Chief football officer George Syrianos added: "He's a leader, with years of experience playing at the highest level in Europe, and there is a strong feeling he has all the attributes to make an immediate impact on the team."
Forest beat Blackburn in second pre-season winpublished at 14:04 BST 22 July
14:04 BST 22 July
Image source, Getty Images
Nottingham Forest won their second successive pre-season fixture as they eased to a 3-0 victory over Championship side Blackburn Rovers in Portugal.
Igor Jesus put Forest ahead before the half-time interval, firing into the roof of the net.
Arnaud Kalimuendo took just three minutes to increase Forest's lead after the break and Taiwo Awoniyi made sure of the victory, slotting into the bottom corner.
Oliver Glasner's side will complete more fixtures as part of the pre-season training camp in the Algarve. They are due to play a behind-closed-doors game against Vitoria S.C. before the Reds take on Portuguese giants Sporting CP on Friday 31 July.
After the match, Glasner spoke to Forest TV, external and said: "It was a very good test again. Credit to the players for their work rate, and we scored some nice goals. It's just pre-season, but winning 3-0 against a Championship side is always positive.
"We could see plenty of positive aspects in the game and also what we will work on in the next couple of days and weeks.
"Every win and clean sheet helps us in getting more and more confidence.
"We have plenty of attacking players on the pitch and we want them to arrive in dangerous areas. We created many chances and scored three nice goals, we're encouraging our strikers to show up in these areas and today it worked."
The 23-year-old made 92 appearances across two seasons at Forest after joining from boyhood club Newcastle in 2024, helping them qualify for Europe in 2024-25 and reach the Europa League semi-finals the following year.
The goodbye message posted by Anderson on social media read: "Forest family,
"Firstly I am so grateful for the love and support you have shown me over the last 2 years especially towards the end of this season. From the minute I walked through the door I fell in love with this club.
"I want to thank Mr Marinakas, the staff and all players for welcoming me and making my time here so enjoyable, this club gave me the opportunity to grow as a player and a person.
"Bringing the club European football again after 29 years is what all of you fans deserved and to be a helping hand in that is so special.
"Nottingham forest will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you for all the unforgettable memories."
Check your World Cup Predictor results - and start playing our new gamepublished at 08:26 BST 22 July
08:26 BST 22 July
Now the dust has settled on the 2026 World Cup, you can officially review your Predictor results for the tournament.
If you played more than four rounds, BBC Sport has done a deep dive into your predictions, tournament performance and compared you to other players.
Don't worry, though, Predictor isn't stopping at international tournaments! Pre-season has kicked off and there are plenty of friendlies and European qualifiers to keep us occupied before the new season gets under way.
So how do you fancy your chances of correctly predicting the scores for our six selected matches every week?
BBC Sport has launched a new weekly Predictor game to cover the 2026-27 season, allowing users to pick what they think will be the result from six fixtures from across the leagues.
There will usually be a Friday deadline and the game will also feature streaks, so make sure to build it into your weekly football habits.
If you're wondering how to play, here are a few easy steps:
Click on the link above to take you to the selections page.
For every match, you either choose a winning team or select a draw - once your prediction has been submitted you won't be able to change it, so be sure to pick carefully.
Then wait for the results to roll in to see how you have done.
Share your results with your friends and family.
Every consecutive round you play adds one to your streak, but if you miss a round then your streak will reset to zero.
Are transfer fees actually bigger now?published at 08:04 BST 22 July
08:04 BST 22 July
Mohamed Moallim BBC Sport Journalist
Image source, Getty Images
The Premier League's financial landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade. Since 2016 total summer transfer spending has risen from £1.16bn to a record £3.19bn in 2025 – an increase of almost 175%.
On the surface, that suggests transfer figures are continuing to accelerate. Headline fees, though, tell only part of the story.
Research by Kieran Maguire and colleagues at the University of Liverpool suggests some of the Premier League's earlier record signings represented even greater investments when measured against clubs' buying power at the time.
Using Premier League broadcasting revenues as an index, Alan Shearer's £15m move from Blackburn Rovers to Newcastle United in 1996 remains the league's biggest transfer relative to clubs' spending power. Rio Ferdinand's £29.1m move to Manchester United in 2002 and Juan Sebastian Veron's £28.1m arrival at Old Trafford in 2001 also rank above any of this summer's blockbuster deals.
The same model suggests Trevor Francis' £1m move from Birmingham City to Forest in 1979 – English football's first £1m transfer – would equate to about £173m in today's market.
That does not mean the fees paid for Morgan Rogers, Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali were modest. Rather, it reflects how dramatically Premier League revenues have grown, allowing clubs to spend sums that would once have been unimaginable.
When Jack Grealish became Britain's first £100m footballer when joining City from Villa in 2021, the transfer marked another turning point in the evolution of the market.
Only five years later, nine-figure deals are no longer viewed as extraordinary. They have become a familiar feature of Premier League transfer windows.
The next milestone may not be far away.
While no Premier League club has yet paid £200m for a player, football's financial ceiling continues to rise and the first transfer of that magnitude no longer feels beyond the realms of possibility.
Morato out, Bergvall in? Your Nottingham Forest squad tweakspublished at 18:33 BST 21 July
18:33 BST 21 July
Image source, Getty Images
We asked you to pick one player you would like to move on this summer and one realistic target you want Nottingham Forest to bring in before the transfer window shuts.
Here are some of your suggestions:
Matt: In: Lucas Bergvall - we need a midfielder with Premier League experience to replace Anderson. Out: Morato - always has a mistake in him and if we are to compete at the higher end of the table, we need to remove mistakes from our game.
Kris: One out - Morato. He's often found wanting and prone to costly errors. One in - Diomande from Sporting would be a more than adequate replacement, and he's a player Glasner has shown interest in previously.
Carl: Morato has to go. No skill and lack of flair. Let's bring Danilo back from Brazil instead.
Ken: Bit left-field but, if he would lower his wage demands, what about Rashford? We would get him for £30m, he can play anywhere across the front and wing positions. Bags of Premier League experience, a proven goalscorer and actually would benefit from regular first-team football.
Andrew: I'd like to see Morato moved on and would love to see Elanga back in the Garibaldi.
Mark: We should move on Morato, who has been a real liability at the back. If I had my choice, I would seek to bring in either Alex Scott or James Garner to replace Anderson.
Scott: McAtee has GOT to go. In Saturday's game at Meadow Lane, he looked his usual indolent self and, even if he performs consistently brilliantly in training, he never seems to carry that into a competitive game. With Ortega gone - sadly - and Victor looking shaky at best, we desperately need cover for Sels. Gregor Kobel...?
Mossy: It might be time to finally let Omar Richards leave - not the best start at Forest with injury and seemed not part of any coach's plans. We desperately need a striker, one with a point to prove, and I'd go for Delap. Not without risk but, if successful, a good resale price.
Why are Premier League transfer fees soaring?published at 07:45 BST 21 July
07:45 BST 21 July
Image source, Getty Images
Thirty-four years ago a £13m transfer caused national outrage in Italy.
When AC Milan signed Gianluigi Lentini from Torino in 1992 for a then world record fee, newspapers called the deal "obscene", while the Vatican's official newspaper described it as "an offence against the dignity of work".
Today that fee would barely register among the Premier League's biggest transfers.
These are not the only major deals. Tottenham also agreed an £85m move for West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, Barcelona paid £69m to sign Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United, and Manchester United spent £50m on Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos.
It is the first transfer window in Premier League history to produce three £100m-plus signings - and there are still weeks to go before deadline day on 1 September.
During the 2025 summer window English top-flight clubs spent a record £3bn.
So why are transfer fees continuing to climb? Why are clubs paying record sums for players already playing in England? And why are more clubs willing to sell some of their biggest stars?
Speaking to Forest TV after the victory, external, Glasner said: "It was a very good first test. It was a great atmosphere here against Notts County in front of 15,000 fans and 6,000 Forest fans. It's a fantastic opener for us after four days in training and I'm really pleased with the performance.
"We scored some lovely goals and we defended very well as a team. Some things did not work how we want them to in the future, but after only four days there were lots of positive aspects. I'm really pleased with what the players offered.
"All the details were perfect [for the first goal], Morgan [Gibbs-White's] pass, Igor's movement, Omari [Hutchinson] is in the pocket and tracks the opposition defender out.
"It was a fantastic goal, as was the second one. It's a fantastic cross and we had great runs into the box. It has been one of the topics this week, getting more players into dangerous areas, and I could see it in some parts.
"We've had a good start so now we will continue to work in training."
