With the commencement of the January transfer window on the horizon it looks inevitable Nottingham Forest will be filling lots of column inches.
The Reds are in fine form and after spending heavily in the summer, it looks certain that the papers will start to speculate.
A lot of the talk will be merely speculative and not everything mentioned in papers and naturally on websites will come to fruition.
Nottinghamshire Live this week reported that West Bromwich Albion are keen to offload Oliver Burke; news that could stir up speculation linking The Reds with a move.
On the back of this story, it does ask the question, as to whether he is of the required quality to vastly improve Forest these days.
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Raw Talent
When the academy graduate burst onto the scene on the banks of the River Trent he was simply sensational.
A brace against Wigan Athletic and a stunning solo goal against Leeds were two particular highlights.
The raw talent on offer from the youngster was phenomenal and it was no surprise that Red Bull Leipzig paid big bucks for his services.
Some sporadic form, however, limited his chances to shine in the Bundesliga and just a year later he was farmed out to the Baggies.
A relegation dogfight ensued when he arrived at The Hawthorns; although it was anticipated that he could be a big player for the club in the second tier this season, following their relegation.
Way Down the Pecking Order
Burke has played just 38 minutes of Championship football under Darren Moore this season and as per the Nottinghamshire Live piece, West Brom are considering loaning the youngster out.
Whilst Burke would fit the ethos of a young player offering considerable talent, Forest have moved on since his departure.
Given Forest’s current form any player that arrives during the month of January has to come in and enhance the starting line-up at the City Ground.
Big Risk Involved
Considering how infrequently Burke has played football over the past year it represents a massive risk should Forest pursue any type of deal.
Reds boss Aitor Karanka has lots of attacking options within his ranks and would it really be wise to press ahead with the signing of a player incapable of earning minutes for one of Forest’s promotion rivals?
The 21-year-old could still have a decent career in the professional game; had he never played for Forest previously, however, he wouldn’t represent a particularly good transfer target at this moment in time.
The signing of the flying winger at this stage would seem romantic but somewhat illogical, given that he wouldn’t be guaranteed a shirt at Forest these days.
Burke looked like being a class act at the City Ground during a period when the Reds traditionally stockpiled average players.
That notion is now thankfully a thing of the past and the harsh reality is that The Reds now have players who have more quality than Burke.
As a former Red, there is nothing wrong with wishing him well, but it shouldn’t be a case of wishing he was back on Trentside.