'A couple more' – Staggering transfer outlay tops £140m for Brighton's rivals as only Chelsea have spent more

Willy Boly has left Wolverhampton Wanderer and joined Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest this transfer window

The Ivory Coast international, 31, is the club’s 19th signing following promotion as he signed a two-year deal at the City Ground to further bolster Steve Cooper’s squad following a return to the Premier League.

Boly made 147 appearances for Wolves, but his departure was somewhat acrimonious after he failed to turn up for Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle, despite being named in the squad.

It takes Forest’s total spend to more than £140m as Boly will join the likes of Jesse Lingard, Cheikhou Kouyate, Neco Williams, Morgan Gibbs-White, Taiwo Awoniyi and Renan Lodi in Cooper's squad.

Only Chelsea have spent more this season as the Blues have signed off incoming deals of a club record £248m this summer – following the signing of Leicester defender Wesley Fofana for £70m and Brighton’s Marc Cucurella for £60m earlier this window.

“I am very excited to have a new adventure with this big club and am very impatient to start my first game and training to meet the lads,” Bony said to Forest TV.

“I was not surprised about the signings (that Forest made since being promoted), because it doesn’t mean nothing – it was the spirit the team have shown (in the Premier League so far) which was more important for me.”

Speaking on Thursday morning, Cooper confirmed he hoped to be able to end a “unique transfer window” with a couple more signings ahead of the 11pm deadline.

“Things are going on and it can be a little bit of a scramble on deadline day, not just for us, for any club, but we are certainly trying to do a few things,” he said.