I simulated a £100m Nottingham Forest takeover by Sir Paul Smith - this is what went down

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
How could Nottingham Forest perform in the transfer market if they were handed a cash injection from a famous fan?

Celebrity investments in football clubs have become commonplace in recent years and there have been a number of high profile successes in recent seasons.

There was the Class of 92-inspired rise at Salford City and Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney helping Wrexham end their lengthy stay in the National League and land consecutive promotions into League One. So that got us thinking here at 3 Added Minutes, what other celebrities could invest in their beloved clubs and what impact would they make. So next up, we take a look at fashion designer Sir Paul Smith as he (virtually) invests in Nottingham Forest.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

How would an injection of cash from Sir Paul and his appointment as chairman of his beloved Forest pan out? We fired up Football Manager 2024, utilised the editor to update the Forest squad to its present form and allowed the 2024/25 season to play out before introducing Sir Paul and his investment. We simulated the first summer transfer window of his ownership and this is how it played out.

Who did a Paul Smith-backed Forest allow to leave the City Ground?

There were some big calls made by Nuno Espirito Santo - but the first of those calls came when Willy Boly, Harry Toffolo, Jonathan Panzo and Ola Aina were allowed to leave on free transfers and James Ward-Prowse and Alex Moreno returned to their parent clubs after their loan deals came to a close.

Other departures included Matt Turner joining Crystal Palace in a £5m permanent deal after he spent the season on loan at Selhurst Park and Marko Stamenic made a similar move to Olympiakos following a season-long stint with the Greek giants. Despite the investment from their celebrity supporter, there were two big-name departures from Forest as Morgan Gibbs-White joined Chelsea in a record deal that added £55m to Nuno’s transfer spends and that was further enhanced by a further £32m when Anthony Elanga moved to Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Who did a Paul Smith-backed Forest sign during the summer transfer window?

Smith had already handed Nuno a significant transfer budget of £100m and that was before the £82m combined fees from the sales of Gibbs-White and Elanga were added to the pot. The first piece of big news came when Chris Wood put pen to paper on a new one-year contract - but he would have major competition for a place in Nuno’s side after Nuno smashed the club’s transfer record twice inside a week to land two new strikers. A first deal came when Forest agreed to spend £40m on Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap after he scored 18 goals in the Tractor Boys unsuccessful bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
The 6ft2 Girona forward scored 24 goals in La Liga this season, so enters the tournament in confident fashion. Ukraine face Belgium, Slovakia and Romania - so the 26-year-old striker will get chances. At just €7 million, he is well worth buying for your squad.The 6ft2 Girona forward scored 24 goals in La Liga this season, so enters the tournament in confident fashion. Ukraine face Belgium, Slovakia and Romania - so the 26-year-old striker will get chances. At just €7 million, he is well worth buying for your squad.
The 6ft2 Girona forward scored 24 goals in La Liga this season, so enters the tournament in confident fashion. Ukraine face Belgium, Slovakia and Romania - so the 26-year-old striker will get chances. At just €7 million, he is well worth buying for your squad. | Getty Images

However, that record fee lasted just three days after Nuno ventured back into the transfer market to land Roma striker Artem Dovbyk in a £44m deal. The spending was far from over as Nuno put the additional funds to good use with a £22m move for SC Freiburg’s Ritsu Doan and then spent a further £52m to land Fulham duo Antonee Robinson and Sander Berge. A hectic first summer was rounded off with the free transfer addition of midfielder Koke after he left La Liga giants Atletico Madrid at the end of his contract.

And there we have it, Football Manager has spoken. Will Sir Paul Smith plough his handsome fortune into the City Ground coffers? It’s seems unlikely. But just imagine the wonders he could do with a snazzy new kit design.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice