William Saliba left very impressed by 23-year-old Nottingham Forest player

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The Nottingham Forest B-Team progressed to the semi-final of the Premier League Cup on Tuesday night, with Ateef Konate scoring twice for the young Reds outfit against Sheffield United.

It was a pretty steady night’s work for the Reds – managed by Warren Joyce – who must now wait to discover who they will face in the last four of the competition.

Things got off to a flyer when a defensive mix-up saw Joe Gardner capitalise. The youngster made his first-team debut in the FA Cup back in February and he pounced to open the scoring.

Sheffield United did come back into the game and pulled level before the interval. However, two goals from substitute Konate did the damage and helped the Reds secure a 3-2 win.

Now, Forest talent Konate has received a message of support from an Arsenal defender on the back of his wonderful performance. It’s perhaps a little bit surprising but clearly, there is some sort of relationship there.

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Arsenal defender reacts to performance of Forest attacker Ateef Konate

Well, this is perhaps a bit of a turn-up for the books. Although it’s clear that the two players played alongside each other for the France youth teams, it’s still a bit surprising he’s taken the time to react.

The player in question is Arsenal defender William Saliba. The centre-back played alongside Konate in a number of different youth teams but the pair have gone on different career paths.

Both players might be 23-years-old but Saliba is currently considered one of the top defenders in the Premier League, whilst Konate is still trying to force his way in at Forest.

After his two-goal performance from the bench on Tuesday, Saliba posted a one-word message to Konate that simply read: “Yessssssssss”, with a flame emoji posted too.

Forest now have decision to make on youngster

It might sound harsh to say it but it really does feel hard to imagine Konate making it at Forest now, The ship has probably sailed and if the Reds are relegated, the 23-year-old will definitely leave.

The player is out of contract in the summer and it’s hard to imagine him being offered a new one given his age. He’d need to be registered as one of the 25-man squad to play in the Premier League and he’s just not at that level.

Still, Konate is doing well to keep his head down and play well for the B-Team. By doing that, he will get himself recognised by other clubs and he should be able to find a new one in the summer when his contract expires.

Konate can leave with his head held high. At the point where he received a chance in the senior squad with one substitute appearance, Forest were flying in the Championship.

With that in mind, it feels as though Konate was one example of a young player who was ultimately a victim of the success at Forest over the last few years.