Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has suggested that he’s disappointed to see Jesse Lingard leave the club. The versatile forward departed the City Ground after his one-year deal expired and he’s now expected to head to the MLS or Saudi Arabia.
It never quite worked out for Lingard at Forest. Miltiadis Marinakis was the orchestrator behind the transfer and the 30-year-old arrived as a big of a big-name addition to the Reds ranks.
Lingard ultimately failed at the City Ground. He failed to register a single goal or assist in the Premier League; scoring twice in the Carabao Cup and claiming two assists.
Forest must now prepare for life without the versatile forward. Steve Cooper will hope to sign another forward or two this summer and it’s hard to imagine that the Reds will be pining for Lingard.
Awoniyi has suggested that he will miss him at Forest though. Lingard was a good character in the dressing room and perhaps it will take a certain type of player to replace him in that sense.
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The striker told the Nigerian publication Soccernet: “To be honest, I think he is someone we are really going to miss because all just only see the weekends. We see each other every day so he is now just like a friend.
“For me, I used to call him a big player because he is a big player, because of what he has done and what he is doing. And with the vibes he brings. He used to call me and Emmanuel Dennis ‘My Super Eagle.”
Awoniyi has suggested that he’s disappointed to see Lingard leave Forest
Awoniyi might think Lingard was a big player and once upon a time, he was. Ultimately. Forest couldn’t justify his wage on a contract extension any longer and they were right to let him leave.
Now, Awoniyi is the big player at Forest. When he missed three months of action, the Reds really struggled and they will hope he can stay fit next season.
Lingard will bounce back from his Forest failure. He’s a brilliant character and given that he’s only 30, it’s likely that he will find himself a club somewhere in the world.
The Reds will have to mark his signing down as one that didn’t quite work. Now, the challenge is to replace him with another player who can lift the team next season.