There is a feeling at Nottingham Forest that Matt Turner could now lose his place in the starting eleven. The Reds landed Greece goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos on transfer deadline day from Benfica.
According to The Athletic, the consensus inside the club is that the new recruit will be considered the number one goalkeeper. However, it’s also claimed that in the short term, he will have to remain patient.
Turner has made a strong start to life at Forest. He didn’t play a Premier League game for Arsenal during the 2022/23 campaign but has now made four appearances in the top flight for Forest.
Last time out, he kept his first clean sheet for the club against Chelsea. With that in mind, it would seem extremely harsh for Steve Cooper to drop him for the next game against Burnley.
There will be a decision to make for Cooper further down the line, however. Vlachodimos won’t have signed to be a number two and having won titles with Benfica he will want to play.
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Turner could lose his place after Forest sign Vlachodimos
This is going to be a conundrum for Cooper. Ultimately, the head coach has always been of the opinion that it should be next man up and he often rewards strong form.
Turner is a player right now who is helping Forest fans forget all about Dean Henderson. The Reds seemed certain to sign the man who was on loan at the City Ground last season but Manchester United sold him to Crystal Palace.
Another interesting aspect of this fight between the goalkeepers could be something that Turner is about to experience off the field. His partner is set to give birth and at this stage, it’s not clear if he will miss any football.
Vlachodimos for now will likely have to remain patient for a chance to shine. As the season progresses, however, Cooper will have a huge decision to make over his number one.