‘Bargain’ signing already one of Nottingham Forest’s most important players.

It seemed inevitable that Nottingham Forest would need to improve their midfield in the coming summer. There was a problem in locating the ideal setup there last season. The Reds were repeatedly surrounded in the middle of the field.

The answer to that was deemed to be Ibrahim Sangare. The club record acquisition has taken some time to get used to the Premier League, but in recent games, he has begun to demonstrate his strengths. Without a doubt, he can contribute to the team’s success and is also capable of performing in a more advanced role.

It is easy to see why the Reds were so keen to snap him up. And why it was such a considerable coup to get the transfer over the line. But just as key to the positive strides Steve Cooper’s side have made of late has been Nicolas Dominguez. He has only made three appearances so far but already has the makings of being a terrific addition.
The Argentine’s arrival perhaps didn’t generate the same kind of buzz as some of Forest’s other deals on deadline day. While not exactly going under the radar, he wasn’t the most high-profile of the additions in a dramatic final 24 hours of the window.

He could yet be one of the most important, though. Certainly, the trio of Dominguez, Sangare and Orel Mangala has the potential to be a formidable one – particularly as the latter has looked back to his best.
An impressive debut away to Manchester City – not the easiest of games in which to stand out – was a terrific way for Dominguez to introduce himself. And he has gone on to build on that performance.

Tenacious and technically very good, his workrate is exceptional. A touchmap posted on social media by the club showed how much ground he covered against Crystal Palace; he was everywhere. Add to that his brilliant header against Brentford and he has made quite the impact.

 

Cooper has plenty of strength in depth in midfield when everyone is fit. Ryan Yates will have a big part to play, Andrey Santos is waiting for his chance, Cheikhou Kouyate can be a solid option to bring off the bench, and the head coach still has Danilo to come back into the equation.

 

But the 8 million euros (£6.9m) fee Forest paid out to Bologna for Dominguez – in a deal which included Remo Freuler heading in the opposite direction, initially on loan – looks a bargain. A number of the club’s summer recruits have impressed, and he is certainly one of them.