Yohan Benalouane is approaching the 12-month mark at Nottingham Forest, but does he have a future at the City Ground?
The Tunisian was Martin O’Neill’s first signing as Reds boss.
Back on January 18, 2019, a deal was done to take the commanding defender from Leicester.
Benalouane penned an 18-month contract upon his arrival.
Said deal will expire at the end of the current campaign.
Will he see it out?
With another window open, where does the 32-year-old figure in Sabri Lamouchi’s plans?
He was prominent enough in those thoughts to make the trip to Chelsea on Sunday.
Benalouane got 45 minutes off the bench at Stamford Bridge.
With the decision taken to rest/rotate Tobias Figueiredo at the interval, another experienced head was introduced to a young side.
Rust
There will have been a bit of rust to shake.
Injuries have kept Benalouane stuck on the sidelines.
His outing against Chelsea was a first for the Reds since April 19, 2019.
That appearance ended with an early bath away at Sheffield United, with a red card flashed in his direction.
You got a feeling when watching Benalouane trudge off at Bramall Lane that he may struggle to win a place back.
With the end of another season approaching, more movement in the transfer market was always going to happen.
O’Neill – the man who snapped him up – also departed.
Sabri Lamouchi drafted in Chema Rodriguez, while Joe Worrall was welcomed back from a loan spell at Rangers.
Benalouane was, even with Alexander Milosevic released, some way down the pecking order.
He did have credit in the bank with the Forest faithful.
Superhero
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His match-winner against Derby, with superhero face mask in place, will live long in the memory.
You cannot, however, live on past achievements in professional sport.
Now, more than ever, a ‘what have you done for me lately’ mindset has been adopted.
Benalouane has to prove himself all over again.
He has welcomed the chance to get “back to business”, but how many more opportunities will he get?
There could be a squad role for him through to the end of the season.
Beyond that, though, it is difficult to see fresh terms being tabled.
If he does depart, then another door will close on O’Neill’s rather forgettable reign at the City Ground.
Benalouane and Sammy Ameobi – who arrived a matter of days before a change in the dugout was made – are the only remaining additions from the Northern Irishman’s tenure.
First in, but maybe last out.
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