Newcastle United boss Rafael Benitez is a big fan of Ben Osborn but he needs to prove his worth at Nottingham Forest first.
Ben Osborn remains a divisive figure at Nottingham Forest. Though emerging through the club’s youth academy, supporters’ patience has been tested as countless managers have insisted on making the midfielder one of the first names on their team sheet.
Therefore, Mark Warburton got some degree of credit for leaving Osborn on the bench after a below-par run of form as Aston Villa hosted Forest on Saturday afternoon. He had started each of the club’s eight previous league fixtures in 2017/18 and was in the starting XI 45 times last season, too.
And while Osborn ironically made a difference as he came on with 24 minutes to go in Forest’s 2-1 defeat at Villa Park, adding the energy that Warburton’s side had previously been lacking, the fact that he was left on the bench, and started alongside the second string in the midweek EFL Cup defeat to Chelsea, should be seen as a wakeup call.
It would also add weight to the argument that the 23-year-old has some way to go before he can claim to be ready for a step up to the Premier League. Yet, there was no shortage of top flight clubs linked with Osborn this summer.
The Nottingham Post reported on deadline day’s eve that Leicester City were plotting a late move for the midfielder, who Forest are understood to value at around £10 million. Meanwhile, Newcastle United have been linked for some time with The Mirror reporting that manager Rafael Benitez, who tried to buy Osborn in January, is a big fan.
Benitez’s ability to improve players is legendary and, after a tough start to the Premier League season, so-called ‘Championship players’ like Christian Atsu, Matt Ritchie and Jamaal Lascelles have taken their game to new levels. There is no doubt that he could hve the same impact on Osborn, a fleet-footed and hard-working creative player.
For now, however, he should worry about proving he is good enough for Forest’s first XI rather than the top flight.
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