It’s coming up to a year since Nottingham Forest were first linked with NAC Breda striker Sydney van Hooijdonk.
Football Oranje claimed that the Reds were rivalling Sheffield Wednesday to sign the son of former Forest striker Pierre.
Nothing happened during the January window of 2020 and the talisman continued to score goals for the Dutch second-tier outfit.
He finished the season with 16 goals and ultimately that always meant that he’d earn a move.
A transfer was forthcoming in the summer and when Serie A outfit Bologna came knocking, it may have looked as though Forest had missed a trick.
His start to life in Italy hasn’t quite gone according to plan though.
Van Hooijdonk has played just 34 minutes of action and ultimately is yet to score a single goal for his new club.
The 21-year-old is young and he was handed a contract until 2025 in a show of faith from the Italian outfit.
He could well be viewed as one for the future but perhaps Bologna isn’t proving the best club for his development.
Playing football is paramount at this stage of his career and he’s showing little sign of doing that in Italy.
Having scored bags of goals at NAC Breda, one thing that Van Hooijdonk won’t want to do is lose his touch in front of the goal.
Could Forest snare Van Hooijdonk on loan?
At this stage, there is nothing to say that Bologna would consider loaning him out. It could be all part of their plan to have him in and around the first team this season, without him being a regular.
That said, if they could get him out on loan with the intention of him playing some football and scoring some goals, that might suit Forest.
It’s no secret that Forest want a younger talisman to come into the club. As a result, Van Hooijdonk could be ideal if that’s an avenue they want to go down.