Xaver Schlager moves to Nottingham Forest on a free transfer and reunites with Oliver Glasner

Background: The path via Wolfsburg and Leipzig

Schlager went through the Austrian football school over the past decade before moving in summer 2019 from the then Red Bull club to VfL Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga for a reported 15 million euros. At Wolfsburg, he worked for two years with Oliver Glasner, who was then coach of the Lower Saxony side. This shared time is said to now ease his integration in Nottingham.

Nottingham's sporting director George Syrianos expressed his conviction about the signing. "Xaver bringt wirklich wichtige Qualitäten und Eigenschaften in die Mannschaft ein, und wir freuen uns sehr, ihn bei Forest begrüßen zu dürfen", Syrianos explained. He also pointed to the prior experience with the head coach: "Xaver hatte eine erfolgreiche Zeit mit Oliver in Wolfsburg, was ihm helfen wird, sich in die Mannschaft zu integrieren, und ihm ein Verständnis für die Anforderungen vermittelt, die an die Spieler gestellt werden."

For Schlager, the move to England brings things full circle: from 2019 to 2021 he was active under Glasner at Wolfsburg, before moving on to Leipzig. The step into the Premier League is also the first spell abroad in his professional career outside the German-speaking world. His contract in Leipzig expired, meaning no transfer fee is due.

Voice from Nottingham

Schlager brings internationally proven quality. The 55-cap Austrian international had featured in all four of Austria's matches at the previous World Cup tournament. This experience at the top international level is a central argument for his signing by Nottingham Forest. "Er ist eine Führungspersönlichkeit mit jahrelanger Erfahrung auf höchstem Niveau in Europa, und wir sind überzeugt, dass er alle Voraussetzungen mitbringt, um sofort einen positiven Einfluss auf das Team zu haben", it was said from Nottingham.

Schlager himself also explained how important the international stage is to him: "Es ist ein großartiges Gefühl, unter der Woche international zu spielen, und genau das möchte ich erreichen." The midfielder stressed that Nottingham Forest are pursuing higher goals than their previous season's finish would suggest. The club had ended the past season only in 16th place, securing their top-flight status rather laboriously.

Despite the modest league position of the previous season, the squad in Nottingham is ambitiously assembled. With the signing of Schlager, those responsible are sending an initial signal in squad planning. Coach Glasner, who started at the beginning of July in Nottingham, can call on a player he knows very well and does not have to fear a long settling-in period.

Glasner as a key factor

The midfielder gets the opportunity in Nottingham to play on the international stage. Should Forest secure a European starting place in the coming season, Schlager would appear with the club in the continent's competitions. "Ich freue mich, wieder mit Oliver zusammenzukommen", Schlager explained, underlining the particular significance of the collaboration with Glasner for his decision.

It was also said from Nottingham that Schlager is to act as a leader in the dressing room. "Xaver bringt für das Team enorm wichtige Qualitäten und Eigenschaften mit", it was said in a club statement. The Austrian thus takes on a key role that goes beyond his performance on the pitch and also concerns his integrative function within a newly formed team.

The transfer is part of broader squad planning with which Nottingham Forest aim to make the leap into the upper half of the table in the new season. Coach Glasner had stressed at the start of his tenure in early July that he wanted to develop the club over the long term. The signing of an experienced midfielder from a familiar network fits this strategy.

For the coming Premier League season, Schlager and Glasner face a shared task that carries high expectations for both sides. Nottingham, a two-time European Cup winners' Cup champion, boasts a rich tradition that has only rarely been associated with sporting highs in recent decades. With the new sporting leadership, this state of affairs is now to be changed.

Outlook on the new season

Schlager is expected to join team training at Nottingham Forest in the coming weeks. Neither the club nor the player provided further details on the contract length at the time of the announcement. An official presentation in the form of a press event was also not initially announced.

With the free transfer, Nottingham Forest are also sending a signal in squad planning: instead of high transfer fees, experienced players with clear sporting added value are to be signed. Alongside his experience, Schlager also brings the advantage that he already knows Glasner's playing system. At Wolfsburg, the duo had worked together for two years before their paths diverged.

For Schlager, who had no longer been beyond dispute at Leipzig recently, the move offers the chance of a sporting fresh start. In the Premier League he faces a higher international level than in the Bundesliga, as well as a coach who trusts him. At Wolfsburg he had been a key performer under Glasner, making a total of 64 competitive appearances for VfL.

The Austrian association is also likely to benefit from Schlager's move. As a regular starter in the Premier League, the midfielder would remain in the view of Ralf Rangnick, who had relied on Schlager at the previous World Cup. Should Forest achieve qualification for the European competitions, the 28-year-old would gain additional playing practice at the top international level at club level.