Nottingham Forest would hate to lose Ben Brereton to Liverpool but at least there’s a succession plan in place.
Nottingham Forest’s production line of talent just keeps on churning.
Less than a year after Oliver Burke departed the City Ground to chase Champions League qualification with Bundesliga high-flyers RB Leipzig, 17-year-old striker Ben Brereton may have already overtaken him as the most exciting young player to emerge out of the club in recent seasons, the Nottingham Post reports.
Though still not legally permitted to buy his own pints, the teenage striker has already netted three times in six starts for the senior side. He only made his first-team debut in late January.
However, with Forest loitering just a few points above the Championship relegation zone, there’s a very real fear that Brereton could follow the likes of Patrick Bamford, Jamaal Lascelles, Karl Darlow and the aforementioned Burke in leaving the City Ground before he has come close to realising his potential.
And The Sun reported earlier this month that Brereton has inevitably caught the eye of Premier League clubs with Liverpool keen on the £10 million-rated forward. Jurgen Klopp is never afraid to give young players a chance and, with Daniel Sturridge out of favour, the club will be in the market for a goalscorer in the summer.
Controversial owner Fawaz Al-Hasawi told the Nottingham Post that he has no desire to sell the homegrown fans favourite but the same publication reports that the club have already identified the next prodigious goalscorer to come through their academy.
Back in 2015, French forward Virgil Gomes became a YouTube sensation when his incredible overhead kick in an under-18 clash with Ipswich Town went viral across the world. And while he hasn’t dominated the internet in recent months his progress has continued unabated.
The direct, explosive striker has netted 23 times for the Forest reserves this season and, according to the Nottingham Post, the club have high hopes that he could follow Brereton into the first team.
However, Al-Hasawi may be forced to invest in a fleet of bodyguards if Gomes gets his first-team chance because Brereton has been flogged to Anfield.
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