Championship giants Nottingham Forest let Stephen Henderson leave the City Ground on transfer deadline day after Costel Pantilimon’s arrival from Watford.
Costel Pantilimon did not enjoy the most distinguished start to his Nottingham Forest career.
The giant Romanian goalkeeper looked more than suspect as Forest were beaten 2-0 by Fulham on his debut for the Championship club, but since then, Pantilimon has settled down and produced some excellent performances between the sticks.
Forest were conceding goals at a remarkable rate before his arrival, but they have now let in just eight goals in nine games with the Watford loanee keeping three successive clean sheets.
So Forest will jump at any chance to sign the 31-year-old permanently at the end of the season, as reported by The Mirror (22nd March, page 62), and Watford, who added Pontus Dahlberg to Heurelho Gomes and Orestis Karnezis in January, surely will not stand in Pantilimon’s way.
But would this move spell the end of Stephen Henderson’s Forest career? Quite possibly, because Forest already boast a very impressive back-up option in the 23-year-old academy graduate Jordan Smith.
29-year-old Henderson only joined Forest in 2016 on a three-year deal but has not played for the club in over a year after suffering a serious injury in a 5-1 battering at Norwich City.
And it is telling that Forest loaned Henderson out to Portsmouth on transfer deadline day after sealing a move to bring in Pantilimon.
Approaching his peak, the former Charlton stopper will not want to be third choice at the City Ground so it seems that a summer departure would suit all parties.
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