Nottingham Forest sign Serie A gems and rapid winger in £207m dream XI - if new transfer rumours are true

Whether or not they qualify for the Champions League this season, the work that Nottingham Forest do in the summer transfer window will have a huge bearing on whether their challenge to the Premier League’s established leaders has long-term legs or ends up as little more than a curious one-off.

As you might expect under the circumstances, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have been linked with dozens of different players, with rumours ranging from the plausible to the deeply unlikely – and figuring out which stories have legs and which are wide of the mark is a challenge. Throw in the fact that actually making it into the Champions League would make some deals far more likely, and figuring out what the squad could look like next September becomes rather difficult.

To help fans envisage how Santo’s side might line up next year, we’ve corralled a few of the more persistent and probable transfer tales doing the rounds to build a relatively realistic ‘dream team’ for the start of the new campaign. As it is part fantasy, we’ve opted to assume that Forest do indeed make the Champions League and can spend and sign accordingly – but beyond that, everything here is a practical possibility, based on reports currently doing the rounds.

It all amounts to £207m of talent, ranging from current City Ground stars to fresh faces. We haven’t jumped in off the deep end anywhere and have noted positions where we expect continuity to be the order of the day, so hopefully this gives supporters some idea of the shape of things to come…

Nottingham Forest’s goalkeeper and defence next season - if the rumours are true

GK: Matz Sels (£5m); LB: Hugo Bueno (£10m*), RB: Ola Aina (free), CB: Murillo (£15m), Nikola Milenković (£15m)

We’re expecting a little less movement at the back than in other positions, reflecting both the excellent work done by the defence this season and the difficulty of improving it on a budget.

A few defenders have been linked with Forest but many of the stories were either poorly sourced or have since become rather unlikely – a supposed move for Juventus’ Federico Gatti, for instance, is off the cards after the centre-half signed a new contract at the Allianz Stadium.

We suspect the only big move will be at left-back. A story suggesting a move for Wolves’ Hugo Bueno, who is currently on loan at Feyenoord, seems perfectly likely given that the Spaniard is expected to leave the Molineux this summer. The price tag is hard to guess, but starting at £10m seems like a reasonable guess. It may well be more.

The midfielders who could line up for Forest next season

DM: Elliot Anderson (£35m), Bryan Cristante (£15m*); AM: Morgan Gibbs-White (£42m)

If this is going to be a ‘dream’ XI of some form, it seems only fair to fantasise about Morgan Gibbs-White staying on past the summer in spite of supposed interest from several more traditional Premier League powerhouses.

Manchester City, in particular, are very keen on a move for Gibbs-White and with Florian Wirtz looking likely to move to Bayern Munich instead, he could easily become a priority target for Pep Guadriola. In a world in which Forest make it to the Champions League, however, perhaps he stays a little longer.

A new defensive midfielder seems a very likely addition. Quite a few players have been linked, including former Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz, but 30-year-old Roma man Cristante fits Forest’s profile and would come in at a more reasonable price point. Most stories suggest that he’s for sale at something around £15m. A swap deal with Nicolas Domínguez has also been mooted, and could occur if Forest still need help with the profit and sustainability picture.

Which forwards could Nottingham Forest sign this summer?

LW: Baris Alper Yilmaz (£30m*); RW: Alexis Saelemaekers (£25m*); CF: Chris Wood (£15m)

We don’t necessarily expect Anthony Elanga or Callum Hudson-Odoi to leave the City Ground this summer, but given the sheer number of stories connecting the club with new wingers, it looks like one part of the squad where we will definitely see multiple new faces join.

Recent reports suggest that Forest could be towards the front of an admittedly lengthy queue for Galatasaray’s versatile forward Yilmaz, who would also offer a depth option up front – the logic behind signing him would be similar to that which underpinned a failed January bid for Yoane Wissa. That could still be revisited, but the £30m-rated Yilmaz would be a cheaper, younger model.

If Forest do make the Champions League, we can also expect them to be serious contenders for AC Milan’s Belgian winger Saelemaekers, who struggled at the San Siro but has impressed on loan at Roma. Roma aren’t expected to be able to afford a £25m asking price easily, keeping the door open for Forest. Saelemaekers can play on either flank, adding some versatility, but mostly operates on the right as it stands.