Nottingham Forest Break Transfer Record But Miss Out On Chelsea Striker Michy Batshuayi

Nottingham Forest added three more players on transfer deadline day to take their tally of summer signings to 21.

Forest brought in defender Willy Boly, 31, from Wolves for an undisclosed fee, while 23-year-old striker Josh Bowler signed from Blackpool before being immediately loaned to Olympiacos for the rest of the season.

Forest signed former France Under 21 international Loic Bade on a season-long loan on deadline day too. Balde was Forest's third loan signing of the summer, after Dean Henderson and Renan Lodi.

Prior to Boly and Bowler, Forest had already completed permanent deals for Taiwo Awoniyi, Giulian Biancone, Moussa Niakhate, Omar Richards, Neco Williams, Wayne Hennessey, Brandon Aguilera, Harry Toffolo, Lewis O'Brien, Jesse Lingard, Orel Mangala, Emmanuel Dennis, Cheikhou Kouyate, Remo Freuler, Morgan Gibbs-White and Hwang Ui-jo.

No British club had ever signed more than 19 players in a transfer window before this summer.

But record-breakers Forest were not content with 21.

Forest wanted to make Michy Batshuayi their 22nd summer signing.

Indeed, Batshuayi was keen to come to the City Ground but the proposed deal missed the deadline after Chelsea did not provide Forest with all the necessary paperwork in time.

Football moves fast. Within 24 hours Batshuayi had completed a transfer from Chelsea to Fenerbahce in Turkey, where the window closes a day later than in England.

Nottingham Forest signed 21 players during the 2022 summer transfer window

IMAGO/Focus Images/Andy Sumner