After less than five months at the City Ground, it is being suggested that Chema Rodriguez’s time with Nottingham Forest is already coming to a close.
The Spaniard was among those snapped up over the summer.
Bringing in another centre-half felt, at the time, a little unnecessary.
Forest were already well-stocked in that department and had handed a bloated squad to Sabri Lamouchi.
A man with La Liga experience to his name was, however, welcomed into the fold.
The 27-year-old arrived on August 8, with a two-year contract signed.
Less than one quarter of that deal has been seen out.
That may be as good as it gets.
Diariode Almeria are reporting that Chema is a target for Almeria.
It is claimed that talks are at “an advanced stage” heading towards the winter window.
Agreement
An agreement could be reached before the New Year, allowing Chema to head home in 2020.
Transfer talk has rather come out of the blue.
Back on September 27, the Spaniard was the man Lamouchi turned to when Michael Dawson hobbled off against Stoke.
He then became the home banker during an enforced absence for Forest’s club captain.
Further outings were taken in versus Brentford and Hull City.
Chema had previously figured in the Carabao Cup away at Arsenal and in the 3-0 victory over Derby.
Across five appearances, he has three wins and two clean sheets to his name.
And a notable success against the Rams.
What has he done over those games, and just 236 minutes in the Championship, to see an exit door opened?
Especially with the likes of Michael Hefele and Yohan Benalouane still on the club’s books!
Understandable
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If homesickness is the issue, then a move becomes more understandable.
Should Chema wish to return to more familiar surroundings, then we wish him good luck.
Maybe he feels that he is deserving of more outings than he is getting.
With Dawson back to full fitness, he has been nudged back down the pecking order.
He had, however, offered enough to suggest that he was a useful asset to have around.
Chema is of a similar ball-playing mould to Dawson.
The physical attributes he brings to the fold also made him a good fit for second tier rough and tumble.
The end, though, would appear to be nigh – with links now emerging to Arsenal’s Greek youngster Konstantinos Mavropanos in Sportime.
It has been a brief dalliance, one which will not live long in the memory, but Chema’s adventure would appear to be taking him to Almeria to link up with another former Reds star, Arvin Appiah.
The New Year is as good a time as any, I suppose, in which to turn over a new leaf.
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