Warburton gamble could see Forest net healthy profit on Barrie McKay

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Barrie McKay joined Nottingham Forest last summer.

Nottingham Forest forward Barrie McKay has seen himself fall out of favour in recent weeks, yet the club could end up making a big profit on him regardless come the end of the season.

The 23-year-old was signed from Scottish side Glasgow Rangers last summer by former Forest boss Mark Warburton in a deal worth around £500,000, as reported by the BBC.

Signing players from north of the border are generally a gamble, yet with the market being blown out of proportion over the past few seasons the figure for an internationally capped player was extremely reasonable.

McKay has gone on to feature in 24 Championship games this season, scoring five and assisting a further seven. Contributing one goal every other game ranks among the very best in the league.

Norwich City’s James Maddison, who has nine goals and six assists in 32 Championship appearances, for instance is being linked with a £20 million move to the Premier League as reported by the Eastern Daily Express.

While Maddison is younger and perhaps more talented, McKay has versatility in his locker being able to play in a number of different roles and at 23 he still has the best part of his career ahead of him.

Under new boss Aitor Karanka, the former Rangers man has barely featured with his last appearance coming in the disappointing 3-0 home defeat to playoff hopefuls Preston North End.

McKay was left out of the 18 altogether for the recent 5-2 victory at Queens Park Rangers, prompting plenty of supporters to suggest his future at the City Ground is looking increasingly bleak.

Karanka made numerous signings in January in order to bulk up his squad, and competition for places has not aided McKay’s prospects of nailing down a regular first-team spot for the East Midlands side.

The likelihood is he could be moved on this summer but considering his decent record at Championship level and his age, there is no reason why Forest cannot look to make a healthy profit on him.

With money flowing around the Championship and struggling teams in need of added creativity, a £2.5 million gamble on McKay is well worth taking and would see Forest net a 500% return on their investment.