Nottingham Forest have had a busy transfer window after a slow start, with plenty of Nuno Espírito Santo’s new recruits catching the eye of onlookers.
Premier League fans have been in awe of Forest’s recruitment this summer as Evangelos Marinakis’ investment has been there for all to see, with Douglas Luiz’s arrival at Forest a particular standout.
The Reds aren’t done, either, as Italian defender Nicolo Savona is set to sign for Forest to cover the right-back area while the recruitment staff look for a similar option for the left.
It’ll take time for Espírito Santo to bed in all these new options, but two in particular have already caught the eye of former Manchester City defender Micah Richards.
Micah Richards absolutely loves Nottingham Forest’s recruitment
In Forest’s draw against Crystal Palace, Espírito Santo handed out debuts to Arnaud Kalimuendo, Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee from the bench, with all three surely looking to force themselves into the starting XI in the coming weeks.
Naturally, being a former City man, Richards is well aware of what McAtee can offer, but Swiss star Dan Ndoye has also caught the eye of the pundit.
Speaking on The Rest is Football, Richards said: “I don’t mind Ndoye at Forest, I don’t mind him at all. He’s a handful. […] McAtee at Forest, I don’t know where he’s going to play in that system, but he’s a good player.”
Ndoye starred on his Forest debut with a goal in the win against Brentford and then followed this up with a stunning assist for Callum Hudson-Odoi against Palace.
He looks to have nailed down his role on the right, but for McAtee, it will be his versatility that helps him make a mark at the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest see James McAtee starring in multiple roles
It was only an 18-minute cameo, but Forest fans were delighted by McAtee’s debut as he showed the composure on the ball that you’d expect from a young midfielder who developed under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola.
In fact, Guardiola was reluctant to let McAtee leave City, which is an endorsement in itself, but the Forest analysts have already given the reason that they targeted the Englishman.
According to The Athletic: “Forest see McAtee as capable of playing as a No 8 or No 10, and Nuno Espirito Santo has been keen to strengthen in midfield this summer following the sales of Danilo and Lewis O’Brien to Botafogo and Wrexham respectively.
“[…] The 22-year-old has played many of his games on the right, but is also capable of operating as a number 10 or even as an orthodox midfielder.”
There’ll be plenty of routes for McAtee into the starting XI, then, with a whole host of football coming up for the City Ground faithful to see what he can offer.
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