Premier League predictions: Who will finish where in 2022-23?

Last season – Championship play-off winners

Nottingham Forest have marked their return to the Premier League after 23 years by making an expensive and spectacular splash in the transfer market.

Owner Evangelos Marinakis has rewarded Forest’s excellent manager Steve Cooper by making the sort of funds available that he hopes will ensure the two-time European Cup winners do not return to the Championship.

There is an element of gamble as Cooper’s brilliant rejuvenation was based on great team spirit and there is always risk in incorporating so many new faces.

And in Forest’s defence, they had no choice other than to embark on this rebuild as seven of the 14 players who took part in the play-off final win over Huddersfield Town have departed, including keeper Brice Samba and a selection of loanees, such as defender Djed Spence, who has joined Spurs.

Jesse Lingard is the most eye-catching signing of all after his free transfer from Manchester United. He opted for Forest ahead of West Ham and will have a huge responsibility in this revamped team.

But I worry about the sheer churn of numbers into Forest’s squad after the success of last season, even with Cooper’s expertise, hence this pessimistic prediction.

I am saying Forest will go down but think they could draw others into that particular fight and may yet stay up.