Oliver Glasner reveals he stopped Nottingham Forest owner from making more summer signings

Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner has revealed that he rejected owner Evangelos Marinakis’ offer to make additional signings during the summer transfer window.

Forest still invested heavily following Glasner’s arrival in July, bringing six new players to the City Ground after narrowly avoiding relegation last season.

However, the Austrian wanted to maintain balance within his squad and believes waiting until January could prove more beneficial.

Forest spent more than €130million on Liam Delap, Ousmane Diomande, Daniel Muñoz and Gustavo Sá, while Xaver Schlager and Steven Benda arrived on free transfers.

Despite that significant investment, Marinakis was apparently willing to continue spending.

Glasner stopped him.

“I even turned down the owner’s offer to sign more players,” Glasner told Kicker. “I’d rather wait until January with more lead time.”

The Forest boss explained that the club’s lack of European football influenced his decision.

“What’s important when looking at the squad as a whole is the strategy, the restructuring,” he said.

“We didn’t bring in a lot of new players, but only targeted ones.”

Without European fixtures increasing the workload, Glasner preferred a more compact squad rather than adding players simply because the opportunity was available.

Glasner’s comments suggest Forest could return to the market when the January window opens.

Waiting gives the manager several months to properly assess his squad and identify the positions which genuinely require strengthening.

That could prove important following a difficult opening to the season.

Forest have won just one of their opening five Premier League matches and sit 14th in the table. They have also been eliminated from the EFL Cup following defeat to Leeds United.

Glasner also admitted Nottingham Forest were not initially among the clubs he expected to manage after leaving Crystal Palace.

Marinakis changed that during their discussions.

“Forest hadn’t honestly been on my radar as a potential new club,” Glasner explained.

“During my discussions with the owner, I quickly got butterflies in my stomach, and I knew: I’m passionate about this challenge.”

Glasner also made clear to Marinakis that he expects the owner’s support during difficult periods.

“I told the owner that I need him when things get difficult,” he said.

After a challenging start, that relationship could now become particularly important as Forest plan their next moves.

Glasner now has until January to assess exactly where his Forest squad needs improvement.

The club’s results over the coming months will likely shape their transfer priorities, while the manager should have significantly more information before deciding where to invest.

With Marinakis already demonstrating his willingness to spend, Forest could become active again in January if Glasner decides reinforcements are required.