Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has backed Nottingham Forest's level of spending in the transfer market ahead of the two teams facing off at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday (7.30pm kick-off).
The Reds completed their 18th signing of the summer transfer window on Monday when a loan deal for Atletico Madrid full-back Renan Lodi was confirmed. Their 16 permanent signings have cost them in the region of £150m and they could yet complete more deals before the market closes at 11pm on Thursday, September 1.
It is the biggest outlay by a promoted team in Premier League history, prompting concerns that the new squad will find it difficult to gel. But Forest acquitted themselves well on Sunday in a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham at the City Ground, quelling fears that Steve Cooper would struggle to get the best out of his new recruits.
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Guardiola praised Forest for their level of ambition as they bid to avoid dropping back to the Championship, admitting that his City team will have to perform well to win the midweek battle.
"They've shown a lot [of ambition]," Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference. "This is what the club wants to be, they want to stay in the Premier League for many, many years.
"They are a historical club. It is a new team, similar style to last season. It is another game at home, we try to play well."
On the possibility of his own club bringing in new players before deadline day, Guardiola said: "I don't know what is going to happen."
Forest and City have not played each other since 2009, when the Reds won 3-0 in the FA Cup. Their last league meeting came in 2002, a second tier tussle in which City ran out 3-0 victors.
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