Nottingham Forest

Gary Neville makes explosive Nottingham Forest transfer call amid sanctions threat

Published

10 months ago

February 2, 2024

Latest Nottingham Forest news from NottinghamshireLive as Gary Neville believes Premier League clubs’ spending on transfers ‘will explode’ into life again in the summer

Gary Neville believes Premier League clubs’ spending on transfers “will explode” into life again in the summer after a quiet January transfer window.

Nottingham Forest signed three players during the January transfer window as Gio Reyna and Rodrigo Ribeiro arrived at the City Ground on loan and Matz Sels joined permanently for a fee believed to be in the region of £5m. But the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United didn’t sign any new players and even Chelsea didn’t splash the cash like they have in previous transfer windows.

Speaking on Sky Sports News on Friday, following deadline day, Neville namechecked Forest as he discussed the transfer caution among Premier League clubs in January, with the Reds having been charged by the Premier League for breaching its financial rules.

He said: “Yesterday we got the window we’ve always talked about in the football community. We’ve always said January is the most difficult time to do business.

“Probably the odd thing is that last year when you were nearly spending £900m in January it goes against everything we say about the game because we talk about those difficulties and challenges.

“There’s no doubt that Covid is catching up with clubs. The threat of real punishment and the Premier League stamping down on the FFP element. There is a lot of caution.

“I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Maybe it’s the start of something that means we’ll see a bit more sustainability and smartness in this window moving forward.”

“I would expect the summer will explode again. The TV money is still the same as it was so the cash is still going into the clubs,” he added.

“I don’t think it’s a case of clubs not having the money. It’s maybe a case of Covid and the losses catching up with them. Maybe a slightly newer approach, thinking about things in a little bit more of a measured fashion.

“The main thing might be that FFP seems to be hitting. Manchester United have spent hundreds of millions and they’re on the edge of FFP.

“It’s not just the likes of Everton and Forest who are near the bottom of the league and trying to catch up. It’s the clubs right at the very top who are having to move forward with more caution.”