Nottingham Forest are now “working hard” to win the race to replace Anderson for £50m
Nottingham Forest need to sign a new midfielder this summer, with England star Elliot Anderson joining Manchester City in a £116m deal.
In late June, journalist Nick Mashiter revealed the names of two midfielders Forest could be looking to replace Anderson, saying: “Tottenham’s Lucas Bergvall is on Forest’s list, as well as Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi.
“James McAtee has had a difficult season, with only two Premier League starts, but he is highly regarded by the coaching staff. He has been putting in extra work this summer and will return before the season in top form.”
Interestingly, it has since emerged that Tottenham Hotspur are willing to sell the Swedish midfielder for £50m this summer, after making it clear that he wants to leave.
Spurs have already strengthened their midfield with the signings of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, which could push Bergvall down.
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Football FanCast verdict |
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Honesty |
Forest really need to sign a midfielder this summer, as Anderson’s departure has left a huge hole in the side. Last season, the 23-year-old played in every Premier League game, scoring four goals and providing four assists. |
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Finance |
Tricky Trees raised £116m by selling the England international, meaning they should have the money to make a number of top-class players. However, signing Bergvall could be expensive, with Spurs placing an asking price of £50m. |
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Understanding |
Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is among the 20-year-old’s fans, saying: “Whenever he’s on the ball and running, he’s unstoppable. Last season, he got one goal and three assists in 23 Premier League games. |
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Impact |
If Forest can’t complete a deal for the youngster, they could scrap plans to sign another Curtis Jones, while Liverpool want around £40m for the Englishman. |
Nottingham Forest are “working hard” to sign Lucas Bergvall
Speaking to Football Insider, former scout Mick Brown shared an update on Oliver Glasner’s club’s search for a new midfielder.
“Nottingham Forest are now looking for a replacement for Elliot Anderson.
“It will be difficult to replace him, it is always the case that you sell your best player, but there are several players who are looking at who can replace him. Lucas Bergvall is being talked about, but it will depend on whether he is willing to move to Forest if they are not playing in Europe.
“They want to be optimistic, but it’s difficult when you don’t have much to offer players in their position in the Premier League after they battled relegation. But they will be working hard to convince him and other targets that he can come in and make a real difference as part of their arrogance plans.”
Why Lucas Bergvall would be a dangerous replacement for Elliot Anderson
Anderson played a key role in Forest avoiding relegation last season, creating 54 chances, the highest number in the team, while also leading with 90 defensive tackles, averaging 13.9.
As such, the Englishman has clearly made a real impact at both ends of the pitch, while Bergvall has created just five chances for Spurs, thanks to playing 966 minutes in the Premier League.
The Swedish teenager has also averaged just 7.3 defensive contributions per 90, which is a very small number compared to the number Anderson managed at Forest.
Yes, Bergvall is still very young and has a lot of time to develop, but current indications are that he would not replace Anderson when he is ready.
