Nottingham Forest were extremely busy during the summer transfer window with 12 new players added to the squad.
The Reds are currently second in the Championship after 11 games of the season and many of the summer recruits have made a difference.
Boss Sabri Lamouchi has built a decent squad and there is optimism in the air once again at the City Ground.
One man who missed out on a move to Forest during the summer was Aberdeen defender Scott McKenna. QPR and the Reds were both keen to sign the 22-year-old, but the Dons wanted between £6 and £10 million for his services (Daily Record).
Forest failed with a bid of £3 million (Nottinghamshire Live), with McKenna seen as a man who could fill a void for a left-footed central defender at the City Ground.
With the Reds not willing to pay Aberdeen’s valuation they plumped for Chema Rodriguez from Levante instead. For just £1 million (Bein Sports) it already seems like Forest made the right decision.
McKenna might have proved a decent investment for the future. With Michael Dawson not getting any younger, there is an argument to suggest that Forest might return for the defender in the future.
Right now though, Forest needed the tried and tested option. Although the 22-year-old has played several games in the Scottish Premiership, Rodriguez has proved himself a capable defender in a league as demanding as La Liga in Spain.
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The 27-year-old has only started one game for Forest but it came in a 1-0 win over Brentford where he did a seriously good job on the prolific Ollie Watkins.
He came on for Dawson at Stoke when the captain limped off in the first half and also put in a solid-looking performance during his league debut.
It is perhaps telling that none of the summer signings have come in for any major criticism from supporters just yet. A goal for Rafa Mir wouldn’t go amiss but other than that the early signs have been positive for all of the new arrivals.
Shrewd
What is also pleasing is that Forest added several players to their ranks in the summer without breaking the bank. McKenna would have hit the Reds in the pocket, and there is an argument that it wouldn’t really have proved value for money.
He does have 12 caps for Scotland and despite his tender years, he has played 88 times for Aberdeen. That doesn’t necessarily mean he is capable of becoming a top-quality player in England, however.
At £1 million Rodriguez was a risk worth taking. Had Forest paid the money for McKenna and watched him flop, the club would have taken a significant hit when it came to moving him along.
It remains to be seen if Forest do return to try and prise the Pittodrie performer away from the SPL. Right now, however, the Reds’ Spanish star is proving the club right not to pay mega-bucks for McKenna.
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