Warburton’s time at Rangers was haunted by Celtic’s Moussa Dembele, but does he have the next big striker at Nottingham Forest?
Nottingham Forest manager Mark Warburton
The very name Moussa Dembele should make Mark Warburton shudder, with his Rangers spell never recovering from the hat-trick the Celtic prodigy netted in the 5-1 Old Firm win last year.
Dembele has been prolific in Scotland for Celtic this season, with Europe’s biggest clubs chasing him and astronomical fees touted.
Mark Warburton has taken the Nottingham Forest job after his Rangers exit, and could be about to discover that he has his very own Dembele at his disposal.
Virgil Gomis is the young striker making an impact in Forest’s academy, and netted his 23rd goal of the season last week.
Gomis, like Dembele, hails from France, with Nottingham Forest snapping him up when he was 15 after he netted 24 goals in 18 games in youth football.
The young striker turns 18 next month, and is surely not far off pushing for a first team opportunity.
He struck up an impressive tandem with Ben Brereton earlier in the season for the under-23s, who has gone on to become a key first team player in 2017.
Gomis is a player who is quick, looking to stretch defences, and with an instinctive eye for goal, also ready to attempt the acrobatic.
Forest have numerous options in attack already, but they would be better off in the long term focusing on Gomis rather than disappointing loanee Ross McCormack.
If he can have a similar impact to that made by Dembele at Fulham, Forest’s luck will be in. The challenge will be holding onto him.
Fulham’s Moussa Dembele shoots at goal
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