Mark Warburton and Gary Rowett, the respective managers of Nottingham Forest and Derby County, know just how good Jon Toral can be.
Gary Rowett’s admiration for Jon Toral is well established. The Spanish technician shone during a loan spell at Birmingham City in 2015/16, scoring eight goals and sweeping up at the club’s end of season awards.
And, in the words of former boss Rowett, Toral has that all-too rare ‘little bit of magic’, as reported by The Express.
Toral was at his enigmatic best at Birmingham
Therefore, it’s no surprise at all that Rowett is hopeful of a reunion at current club Derby County. The Derby Telegraph reports that The Rams have contacted Arsenal to enquire about the availability of the 22-year-old, who is still yet to make a Premier League appearance for The Gunners.
With Will Hughes growing frustrated with Derby’s inability to secure Premier League football and moving up a division with Watford, Rowett needs to replace his guile and class in the centre of the park. And 22-year-old Toral, who honed his trade in Barcelona’s renowned La Masia academy, could be the ideal solution.
However, it remains to be seen whether Derby will have competition from their neighbours a few miles down the road. After all, Nottingham Forest manager Mark Warburton knows Toral even better than Rowett.
Warburton vs Rowett
It was he who handed Toral his senior debut in English football during a wildly successful loan spell at Brentford in 2014/15. Netting six goals from midfield, the then-teenager helped The Bees defy pre-season predictions and reach the play-offs.
And, as recently as January, Warburton was reunited with Toral when bringing him to Rangers, although he was sacked just a month later.
Warburton got the best out of Toral in 2014/15
An extra spark of creativity and energy wouldn’t go amiss in a Forest midfield over reliant on the ageing limbs of Chris Cohen and David Vaughan. And the prospect of Toral linking up with Barrie McKay and Zach Clough is simply mouth-watering.
Therefore, if Arsenal give an indication that Toral can leave on loan, expect the East Midlands rivalry to kick-off long before the new season begins.
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