Willy Boly deal announced as Forest make it 19 signings with more to come on deadline day

Nottingham Forest have completed their 19th summer signing after announcing a deal for defender Willy Boly from Wolves.

The Premier League new boys have wasted no time and made an assault on the transfer window after returning to the Premier League.

Boly, 31, an Ivory Coast international has signed a two-year deal at the City Ground. He is expected to go into the heart of Cooper’s back three, who have conceded 11 goals in five games.

Of course Wednesday’s 6-0 thrashing by Premier League champions Man City has skewed their goals against column. But Boly, who made 147 appearances for Wolves, should strengthen Forest’s backline.

His departure at Molineux was somewhat acrimonious after he failed to turn up for Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle, despite being named in the squad.

Speaking on Thursday morning, Cooper confirmed he hoped to be able to end a “unique transfer window” with a couple more signings.

“Things are going on and it can be a little bit of a scramble on deadline day, not just for us, for any club, but we are certainly trying to do a few things,” he said.

One more to follow Boly?

“Some might come off, none of it might come off, so we will wait and see, but we are trying that is for sure.”

Speaking at a press conference Cooper insisted his squad overhaul was part of the summer planning, rather than a reaction to recent results.

“If it is, it is only going to be a couple (of signings),” he told a press conference.

“A lot has been quite rightly said about the amount of signings we have made already. It has been a unique transfer window for sure, I understand and accept that.

“But we would still like to do a couple more things, which are not from a reaction from the last couple of games or whatever, it is something we have been trying to do for a little while now.

Cooper: ‘We have to become a team as quick as we can’

“It is just obviously they can take a little bit longer than you would hope, but it is certainly nothing that has just popped up in the last day or so, it is something which has been ongoing a little while now.”

Cooper is well aware that he has got to gel a team from almost enough players to field two sides.

“Short-term, we’ve got to win games and play well, become a team as quick as we can, but at least now, we know we can do it with players who are here for the long-term,” he added

“It’s a unique summer, in terms of the amount of players who have come in, but that was always going to be the case, and part of the plan.

“We’ve been calm internally, even today, going into the final day. We hope that when the window shuts, the squad we’ve put together can bode well for what we want to become.”