Nottingham Forest transfers: Douglas Luiz deal headlines August spree as full-back search goes on
Forest’s late-summer reset: Luiz lands, Ndoye replaces Elanga, creativity added
Nottingham Forest have thrown real weight behind their summer rebuild, making Nottingham Forest transfers the story of August. The headline arrival is Douglas Luiz from Juventus for around €30m, a move designed to give the midfield a calmer passing tempo and more control in games that too often drifted last season.
Luiz brings Premier League familiarity from his Aston Villa years and a resume that mixes ball-winning with line-breaking passes. Forest have lacked a steady metronome at the base of midfield; this is a swing to fix that. The fee is punchy but not reckless in a market where comparable profiles often land closer to £50m.
On the flanks, Forest moved quickly after selling Anthony Elanga to Newcastle United. Dan Ndoye arrived from Bologna for close to £40m, a statement that they wanted pace and directness right away. If you watched Switzerland at Euro 2024, you saw the appeal: Ndoye presses hard, drives at full-backs, and keeps opponents pinned back. Forest needed a runner who stretches the pitch and a wide forward who can do the dirty work without the ball. Ndoye ticks both boxes.
The club also added two creators with different strengths. Omari Hutchinson gives Forest a left-footed spark who can beat a man and carry 30 yards up the pitch. James McAtee adds timing and technique between the lines, useful when teams sit deep at the City Ground. Neither needs to start every week to matter; their value is in raising the attacking floor and giving the manager real rotation options.
Put the pieces together and the plan is clear: control the middle with Luiz, replace Elanga’s transition threat with Ndoye, and add guile through Hutchinson and McAtee. That’s a more balanced front six on paper and a squad less dependent on one hot streak to win games.
What still needs doing: full-backs, exits, and balance
The next priority is at full-back. Forest are working the market for both sides of the pitch and have looked at Sevilla’s José Ángel Carmona, who can cover right-back and center-back, and Manchester City’s Rico Lewis, a modern inverted full-back who steps into midfield. Those profiles tell you what Forest want: flexibility, composure on the ball, and the ability to help with build-up rather than just overlap and cross.
Why the emphasis there? Too many attacks stalled at the second pass out wide last season. Bringing in one full-back who can invert inside alongside Luiz would sharpen the first phase of possession and make Forest harder to press. It also raises the ceiling for Hutchinson and McAtee, who thrive when the structure behind them is stable.
There’s also the numbers game. Compliance with the Premier League’s financial rules is front of mind across the division, and Forest are no exception. Big outlays on Ndoye and Luiz are easier to justify if outgoings continue in the background and amortization is managed across longer contracts. The Elanga sale helps. Further fringe exits would too, especially if a full-back arrives on a permanent deal rather than a short-term loan.
Squad-building is about balance, not just big names. Luiz’s passing should unlock the right-sided eight. Ndoye’s vertical runs invite a partner who can hit early diagonals. Hutchinson could be a high-impact substitute against tired legs, while McAtee fits games where Forest expect more of the ball. That variety makes the bench stronger and the starting XI less predictable.
Here’s how the window looks so far, by role and impact:
- Midfield anchor: Douglas Luiz — control, set-piece craft, press resistance.
- Wide forward: Dan Ndoye — pace, pressing intensity, direct threat.
- Attacking midfield/wing: Omari Hutchinson — ball-carrying and 1v1 wins.
- Attacking midfield: James McAtee — timing in the half-spaces and final pass.
On the exit side, Elanga to Newcastle United is the headline departure, creating room for Ndoye and shifting the wage bill. Expect more trimming if a full-back deal lands late in the window.
The risk? Integration time. A core spine doesn’t form overnight, and Luiz will need early patterns with the center-backs and the keeper. Ndoye’s chemistry with the right-back matters, too—his best work comes when the full-back supports inside, not just overlapping into traffic. That’s why the ongoing search for a defender who fits the build-up plan is so important.
The upside is obvious. Forest look faster, smarter, and more adaptable. With Luiz setting the rhythm, Ndoye stretching defenses, and two different creators rotating in, the team can win more types of games—particularly the tight, low-scoring ones that defined last season’s margin for error.
There’s still work to do before the deadline, but the spine of the project is in place. One right-back who can step into midfield, or a versatile option like Carmona who covers multiple roles, would round it off. After that, it’s about clarity: settle partnerships, lock in a best XI, and let the talent bed in.