Birtles implores Forest owners to spend

4 august 2012 11:47

Nottingham Forest legend Garry Birtles has urged the club's new owners to splash out and sign a quality striker.

Forest were taken over by the Al-Hasawi family from Kuwait last month and have already strengthened the club's squad with the signings of Danny Collins, Greg Halford, Danny Collins and Adlene Guedioura.

All are good signings at Championship level but Birtles – who was a Champions League winner at Forest and made over 200 appearances at the club – expressed his desire to see a big-name arrive at the City Ground.

"We are getting to the point where, if there are to be further additions, the new owners are going to have to put their hands in their pockets," Birtles wrote in his weekly column in the Nottingham Post.

"We will be able to judge how serious they are (and) how much intent they have when it comes to making Forest a force in the Championship.

"There has been talk they are in the market for a marquee signing; that they do want to demonstrate their seriousness with a big acquisition. There is not a single Forest fan who would not like to see that. I know I would.

"If they do go out and spend a few million pounds on a new signing, in a strange way, it would put a lot of minds at rest. Because then there would be no more lingering doubt. We would know that the Al-Hasawi family are genuinely the real deal.

"They have done nothing to suggest they are not. But making a statement of intent would not do them any harm. And, the fact is, the team needs one as well.

"Because, on the pitch, one of the biggest things Forest are missing is a striker who can get more than 20 goals this season. And if you can add a Premier League class striker to the mix, then you have the formula for success. You have a good chance of winning promotion."

Birtles named Brighton forward Craig Mackail-Smith as an ideal signing, although the Scottish international is also wanted by Leeds United.