Nottingham Forest have terminated the loan of Jordi Osei-Tutu and sent him back to Arsenal. The defender had been expected to see out the season at the City Ground but injury has curtailed his progress.
The Reds beat off other clubs to land the youngster during the summer. He picked up a hamstring injury in his second game and hobbled out the win over Hull with another problem.
A two-month lay-off has seen Forest make this tough decision. News of his loan being terminated was announced earlier today by the club’s official website.
It’s a shame for the Arsenal youngster. He was an eye-catching signing when Chris Hughton added him to the ranks back in August.
Osei-Tutu scooped the Man of the Match accolade during his debut against Bournemouth. He operated out of position at left-back and did a superb job.
Injury struck in the very next game though. That saw him sit out for three months, before returning during a 4-1 win over Swansea in December.
He played for 40 minutes of the following game against Hull. He was withdrawn just prior to half-time and ultimately it proved to be his last appearance in the Garibaldi.
Shame: Osei-Tutu should have been perfect for Cooper at Forest
It would take someone with a heart made of ice not to feel a bit of compassion towards the Arsenal youngster. His career to date has been riddled with niggling injuries and at 23, he’s already facing a fight to forge a career somewhere.
Osei-Tutu should have been tailor-made for Steve Cooper at Forest. The head coach loves his players to boast versatility and an ability to adapt to different situations. The Arsenal owned player suits that down to the ground.
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Although he was signed as a right-back, he played as a left-back for Forest. He never disappointed either and was arguably the best player on the pitch in both games he played almost 90 minutes.
Osei-Tutu leaves the City Ground with the best wishes from the fan base. It wasn’t to be at Forest and it’ll be interesting to see what’s next for the youngster.
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