Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes that Nottingham Forest's ability to attract players with Champions League experience has made the Premier League stronger.
Since Forest secured promotion from the Championship last season, Steve Cooper's side have recruited a total of 30 players across the summer and winter transfer windows.
Eleven of those additions have previously played in the Champions League and notched up a combined 258 appearances, while eight new signings have also featured in the Europa League.
Jesse Lingard, Dean Henderson, Renan Lodi, Remo Freuler, Serge Aurier, Emmanuel Dennis, Neco Williams and Omar Richards have all played in Europe's premier club competition and were all recruited over the summer, while three more in the form of Felipe, Keylor Navas and Andre Ayew moved to the City Ground in January.
Felipe and Navas in particular have vast Champions League experience, with the former making 46 appearances across seven seasons with Porto and Atletico Madrid, while Navas is a three-time winner of the competition with Real Madrid and made 63 outings during his spells with both Los Blancos and Paris Saint-Germain.
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Guardiola, who is preparing his Man City side for a visit to the City Ground on Saturday, believes the capability of a newly-promoted club such as Forest to attract players competing at the highest level has increased the competitiveness within the Premier League.
Asked at a press conference on Friday whether the recruitment of Champions League-quality players has made the Premier League harder, Guardiola said: "Definitely. The rhythm is completely different in other leagues.
"Navas, Felpie didn't play in PSG and Atletico regularly, but they played in Champions League finals where you have to win, win win. That helps.
"The squad for Nottingham is so long, they have a lot of alternatives. They bought young players at the beginning of the season, but now a lot of players with experience."
Guardiola has said that he 'respects' the job Cooper has done in English football, firstly with England's Under-16s and Under-17s before spending two years at Swansea City and then taking over at Forest in September 2021.
Cooper steered Forest from the bottom of the Championship to winning promotion via the playoffs last season, before managing an influx of signings in the top-flight this term as they battle to avoid relegation.
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"Tomorrow we have to be ready mentally against a team that have lost just one game in the last six," Guardiola added. "They have won important games at home in front of their crowd, with a manager who I respect for what he has done in English football.
"When he took over Nottingham he was in a really difficult position, but he got the team promoted and now [Cooper is] doing really well.
"With the national team (England's youth sides) as well, absolutely. They rely on him at the moment in the difficult part of the season."
Man City, who thrashed Forest 6-0 at the Etihad Stadium earlier this season, currently sit at the top of the Premier League after beating title rivals Arsenal 3-1 in North London on Wednesday, and Guardiola has assessed where his side are in the race to become champions.
"Still 15 games left a lot of games but we want to arrive at the last eight or 10 near the top of the league to make a last effort," said the Spaniard. "We are in the position that I would have dreamed at the start of the season, I could not expect to be many points ahead after two titles it's nearly impossible.
"Arsenal have one game in hand, nothing changed much. We're just thinking about Nottingham Forest."
Guardiola has also confirmed that John Stones is "getting better" after missing the last three games with a hamstring injury, but the defender will not be available for selection on Saturday.
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