Nottingham Forest have been at the epicentre of the transfer window this summer, making more signings than any other Premier League side in this window.
From Dean Henderson to Emmanuel Dennis, Forest have been hyperactive in this market, and while some of their signings have looked inspired, some have led to a bit of concern.
One deal that has certainly divided opinion was the deal to sign Jesse Lingard on a free transfer.
Now, nobody can question Lingard’s ability, but the fact that Forest only gave him a one-year deal was cause for concern.
Indeed, Mark Lawrenson highlighted those concerns, questioning whether Lingard even wanted to be at the City Ground after signing such a short-term deal.
“I remember David Moyes saying to me that the only problem is that he’s a lad who likes a night out. He said to me if you think about it during Covid he couldn’t go out, so he’d stay on in training and those types of things. I’m worried that he’s gone to Forest for a year and you think does he really want to be there?” Lawrenson asked.
Lawrenson was clearly worried by the fact that Forest had only given Lingard a one-year deal, but that decision suddenly makes a lot more sense after the arrival of Morgan Gibbs-White.
Not only have Forest signed Lingard this summer, they’ve also signed his replacement in a club-record deal.
Now, for the next 12 months, Lingard can play his part in helping Forest get over the initial hurdle of staying in the Premier League – while picking up a hefty pay packet in the process, and then, if he wants to move on, it won’t be too much of a big deal as Gibbs-White will be waiting in the wings to take his place in the team.
Having a player like Lingard in your first year back in the Premier League is invaluable, there’s no doubt about that, but after the arrival of Gibbs-White, it now makes sense as to why a one-year deal suits all parties.
Lingard gets his payday and helps Forest stay up, the East Midlanders get an incredibly experienced player for a year and if he does decide to leave next summer, they won’t miss him too much due to the addition of Gibbs-White.
Despite initial concerns, this deal could well benefit everyone involved.
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