What transfers Premier League clubs need: Nott'm Forest to Wolves

Adrian Clarke looks at what Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United, Sheffield United, Spurs and Wolves need to do in the remaining days of the summer 2023 transfer window.

Nottingham Forest

Major deals so far

Ins: Andrey Santos (loan from Chelsea), Anthony Elanga (Man Utd), Chris Wood (Newcastle), Gonzalo Montiel (loan from Sevilla), Matt Turner (Arsenal), Ola Aina (Torino).
Outs: Andre Ayew, Jack Colback, Jesse Lingard, Lyle Taylor (all released), Sam Surridge (Nashville), Steve Cook (QPR), Gustavo Scarpa, Omar Richards (both loan to Olympiakos).

Steve Cooper is likely to offload several players from his first-team squad in the coming days, and in return his primary choice would be the arrival of a new creative midfielder.

Forest are extremely reliant on Morgan Gibbs-White to supply chances for team-mates inside the final third.

His 54 key passes in open play since the start of 2022/23 dwarf anyone else’s contributions, with Brennan Johnson – heavily linked with Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur – the only other consistent creator.

If Cooper’s men are to improve on their poor Premier League away record, they desperately need one or two new faces who can the difference away from home.

Forest chances created open play from MW1 22/23

With two more defensive additions set to happen this week, the Brazilian Murillo and Arsenal left-back Nuno Tavares, the final hole to fill will be up front.

Former Chelsea forward Michy Batshuayi has been linked to the City Ground and would potentially provide cover for star man Taiwo Awoniyi.

See: Transfer Deadline Day: Follow our live blog

Sheffield United

Major deals so far

Ins: Anis Slimane (Brondby), Auston Trusty (Arsenal), Benie Traore (Hacken), Cameron Archer (Aston Villa), Gustavo Hamer (Coventry), Tom Davies (free agent), Vinicius Souza (Lommel), Yasser Larouci (Troyes), Luke Thomas (Leicester).
Outs: Billy Sharp, Edna Stevens, Jack O’Connell, Kyron Gordon (all released), Iliman Ndiaye (Marseille), Sander Berge (Burnley).

Finding a couple more players who can provide craft and dynamism inside the final third will surely be among Paul Heckingbottom’s priorities over the coming days.

Sheff Utd have only created six chances from open play so far this season, and central defender Anel Ahmedhodzic is their leading shot-taker after three matches.

With limited Premier League experience up front, I'd be surprised if the Blades do not try hard to recruit another forward, preferably with top-level pedigree.

A pair of Championship stars from last season, Gustavo Hamer and Cameron Archer, have arrived but to thrive in 2023/24 I feel that the Blades need more quality on top.

See: Sheff Utd sign Archer from Villa

James McAtee, loaned from Manchester City last season, would supply some of that extra guile and end product, so a return will be of interest.  

Tottenham Hotspur

Major deals so far

Ins: Alejo Veliz (Rosario Central), Ashley Phillips (Blackburn), Dejan Kulusevski (Juventus), Guglielmo Vicario (Empoli), James Maddison (Leicester), Manor Solomon (free agent), Micky van de Ven (Wolfsburg), Pedro Porro (Sporting). 
Outs: Alfie Devine (loan to Port Vale), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Harry Winks (Leicester), Joe Rodon (loan to Leeds), Lucas Moura (released), Troy Parrott (loan to Excelsior).

Ange Postecoglou has some big decisions to make across the next few days in north London.

With Harry Kane’s transfer fee yet to be spent it feels inevitable Spurs will reinvest big money on at least one forward player.

Forest’s Brennan Johnson has been linked with a move to Spurs, while they had been reportedly keen on Barcelona’s Ansu Fati, but appear to have been usurped by Brighton & Hove Albion.

A promising start to this season should not mask the fact that Kane scored 43 per cent of Spurs' league goals last season. It would seem unnecessarily risky for a replacement striker not to be signed.

Spurs' goal share in 22/23

More depth is needed in the centre of defence too, especially after leaking 63 goals in 2022/23.

With Eric Dier, and Davinson Sanchez possibly departing in the next two days, Postecoglou will surely target a central defender to compete with Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.

West Ham United

Major deals so far

Ins: Edson Alvarez (Ajax), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Konstantinos Mavropanos (Stuttgart), Mohammed Kudus (Ajax).
Outs: Arthur Masuaku (Besiktas), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Flynn Downes (loan to Southampton), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Nikola Vlasic (Torino).

After revamping his midfield with James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez - and then pulling off a major coup by securing Mohammed Kudus’s signature - there are potentially two more deals in the offing for David Moyes.

See: How persistence paid off for Kudus

If Danny Ings, who has featured for only 788 minutes since the start of last season, leaves, they will be in the marker for another striker.

Paris Saint-Germain's 21-year-old forward Hugo Ekitike is a young talent they reportedly have their eye on.

Moyes and his recruitment staff, headed up by Mark Noble, should also be targeting a right-back. Vladimir Coufal is first-choice right now, but the 31-year-old’s contributions going forward have been on the wane. Last season, the Czech produced no goals and only one assist.

To make a step forward the east Londoners could upgrade that position this summer. 

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Major deals so far

Ins: Matt Doherty (Atletico Madrid), Enso Gonzalez (Libertad).
Outs: Adama Traore, Diego Costa, Joao Moutinho (all released), Chem Campbell (loan to Charlton), Nathan Collins (Brentford), Raul Jimenez (Fulham), Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal), Ryan Giles (Luton), Ki-Jana Hoever, Chiquinho (both loans to Stoke).

Wolves have sold a lot of key players this summer, but, with the apparent departure of Matheus Nunes to Man City, they have scope to make moves of their own in this transfer window. New head coach Gary O’Neil has his eye on a rebuild and will be as active as possible in the coming days.

Above all else they need more goals. Wolves were last season’s lowest scorers, and have scored only 71 since the start of 2021/22. 

Fewest goals since start of 21/22*

*ever-present teams

O'Neil will hope that winger Enso Gonzalez, who joined on Thursday from Paraguayan club Libertad, can add some attacking creativity, albeit at the age of 18.

See: Wolves sign winger Gonzalez

Indeed, only two of the club’s recognised strikers, Hwang Hee-chan (three goals) and Diego Costa (one goal), found the back of the net in the entirety of the previous campaign.

Fit-again Sasa Kalajdzic has promise but finding a consistent finisher who can lead the line will be top of O’Neil’s to-do list.

The other main target at Molineux should be a central defender to replace Nathan Collins, who left for Brentford at the start of the window.

With a lack of goals putting pressure on Wolves to maintain a reliable back line, their new head coach is likely to pursue interest in players who are good enough to compete with Craig Dawson and Max Kilman for a starting berth.

Also in this series

Part 1: Arsenal to Brighton
Part 2: Burnley to Fulham
Part 3: Liverpool to Newcastle