Mark Warburton always had a thing for Britt Assombalonga.
So imagine his excitement when, four years ago this month, he was given the chance to coach a striker he had described as an “outstanding forward” as far back as 2014, when Assombalonga was still a promising youngster looking to live up to lofty expectations at Nottingham Forest.
Unfortunately for Warburton, Assombalonga didn’t stick around at the two-time European Champions for long.
The city-trader-turned-coach was still decorating his City Ground office when Forest accepted a massive bid from Middlesbrough for their star striker.
Warburton was understandably disappointed to see his most lethal finisher go but, as he himself admitted, a £15 million offer was simply too good to turn down.
“Britt is a very talented player,” Warburton told the Daily Star in 2017.
“(But selling him) was good business for the club and represents good value. So we wish Britt well and our job now is to build the squad with strong foundations and that is what we will do.”
Flash forward to spring 2021 and Assombalonga appears to be on the move again.
Four years after paying £15 million for the one-time Watford youngster, Middlesbrough are ready to let their record signing leave for nothing.
And a bargain summer switch to newly crowned Scottish champions Rangers appears to be on the cards (GiveMeSport).
Warburton, Ibrox boss from 2015 to 2017, would undoubtedly give the switch his seal of approval.
But it is almost ten years since Nottingham Forest invested £6 million in the then-Peterborough United sensation. And, in truth, Assombalonga has never really delivered on that early potential, his progress stunted by a knee injury that kept him on the sidelines for more than a year during his time in Garibaldi red.
Yes, Assombalonga has hit double figures in five of the past six league seasons but, on the other hand, the London-born striker has never looked like anything more than a useful, second-tier striker.
Is he really capable of replacing the talismanic Alfredo Morelos at Ibrox should the Colombian get his dream move to the Premier League?
Warburton may say yes but, at the age of 28, Assombalonga still feels like a classic case of potential that has yet to be fulfilled.
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