Nottingham Forest’s incredible start to the 24/25 season can be attributed to many factors, but one of the biggest is the impact of Evangelos Marinakis’ summer transfers.
One of the most important deals has been Forest’s purchase of Nikola Milenkovic from Fiorentina, who has starred alongside Murillo at the heart of Nuno Espirito Santo’s defence.
Morato joined from Benfica as well and has been a crucial cog in the backline when Forest have switched to a back five on occasion, whilst Jota Silva has impressed Espirito Santo when he has featured either from the start or off the bench.
However, one deal that was perhaps not expected to be as impactful as it has been was for a midfielder who has been praised by former Premier League midfielder, Joey Barton.
Joey Barton praises Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson
In a recent post on social media, Barton responded to a comment suggesting that Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson should be in the conversation for a spot in the England team after his impressive start at the City Ground.
Referring to him as the ‘Geordie Maradona’, Barton supported the claim that Anderson should be above the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Conor Gallagher, who have both starred for the Three Lions in recent years.
Anderson joined Forest from Newcastle United and has been an exceptional addition to the Forest squad, featuring in all but one of the club’s Premier League fixtures this season.
Barton is right to be picking out Anderson for a potential England call-up, with his stats this season looking hard to ignore for new England boss Thomas Tuchel.
Elliot Anderson is making a strong case for an England call-up
So far this season, Anderson has built a strong partnership with Forest Academy graduate Ryan Yates in midfield, contributing five assists for Espirito Santo’s side.
Anderson is contributing to the Forest system in multiple ways, completing nearly two dribbles and over two tackles per 90 minutes. He has also won 55% of his midfield duels per match, alongside almost four touches in the opposition box per game showing his importance at both ends of the pitch.
In comparison to the previously mentioned Mainoo, Anderson is leading the Manchester United star in all of the stats above, making the Forest man’s case for an international call-up even stronger.
Gallagher is statistically stronger than Anderson in terms of scoring goals, but again the Forest star is leading the former Chelsea man in all over aspects.
Clearly, Forest’s incredible form this season will have caught the attention of Tuchel, with Anderson likely at the top of the list for any potential call-ups from the City Ground.
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