Nottingham Forest £100m transfer claim made as Evangelos Marinakis set to back Steve Cooper

Nottingham Forest are set to splash the cash this summer, following promotion to the Premier League.

Owner Evangelos Marinakis has already invested heavily in the Reds since he bought the club five years ago. And he has pledged to back Steve Cooper in the transfer market in the coming weeks, as the head coach gets the chance to put his stamp on the squad.

According to The Times, Cooper will be given a budget of between £75m and £100m to spend on new players. Last summer, only three top-flight sides spent more than that amount - Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal.

It will be a busy window at the City Ground, with a number of incomings and outgoings expected before the deadline of 11pm on Thursday, September 1. However, Forest are determined to spend wisely.

“Now is the time to give Steve all the ammunition he needs, to be able to not only survive but bring some good results,” Marinakis said last week. “We have to invest more.

“Everybody talks about the television rights and money that comes in, but it is not enough for clubs in the first year. That’s why we must not be the poorer relatives of the Premier League.

“We need to buy some good players and some that will make the difference and have the experience who know the division. We need to be careful how we spend and make the right choices.”

CEO Dane Murphy, meanwhile, has outlined a plan for “balanced and purposeful investment” in all areas of the club. He is also keen to keep together the “band of brothers” which delivered the Reds’ return to the top-flight after a 23-year absence.

“We have a very strong owner who is not afraid to invest in the club and make sure it becomes the Premier League club it should be, in all facets of the business,” he has said.