Bristol City want to bring Liam Walsh to the Championship from Everton – but Nottingham Forest know what talents The Toffees have in their academy.
Reports in the Nottingham Post stating that Zach Clough could return to Bolton Wanderers in January one year after joining Forest for £3 million are a credit to just how impressive Kieran Dowell has been in recent weeks.
The Everton loanee has taken Clough’s place in the playmaking role at Forest and, after a mixed start, now appears to be getting better by the week. Dowell has scored seven goals in 17 Championship starts for Forest, his most recent a sublime free-kick away at Ipswich Town.
It’s easy to forget the lanky 20-year-old had only made two senior appearances for Everton before rocking up at the City Ground in the summer.
And with another member of Everton’s 2016/17 Premier League 2 winning team seemingly up for grabs in January, will the success of Dowell give Forest food for thought?
According to The Sun, surprise packages Bristol City are closing in on the £1 million signing of 20-year-old Toffees talent Liam Walsh. Despite a disappointing loan at Birmingham City this season, where he played just three times before returning to Goodison Park ahead of schedule, there is no doubting the quality of this technically gifted midfielder.
Everton academy boss David Unsworth says Walsh ‘runs games’, per the Liverpool Echo. And it’s exactly this controlling ability that makes him perfect for Forest – who are renowned for their possession based approach under manager Mark Warburton.
Chris Cohen and David Vaughan can’t go on forever and Walsh has the potential to be a long-term successor for one of the influential veterans in Forest’s squad. And if he’s as impressive as Dowell, Forest would have a real talent on their hands.
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