“It could be a backwards step” – Nottingham Forest fan pundit reacts to potential transfer reunion with 28-year-old

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk‘ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Nottingham Forest have been linked with a reunion with Jamaal Lascelles in the last week following their promotion to the Premier League, as first reported by The Northern Echo.

The 28-year-old fell down the pecking order under Eddie Howe at Newcastle United this past season, with the January recruitment of Dan Burn seeing him spend a lot more time on the bench.

Because of that, he could be set for a return to Forest – the club whose youth academy he graduated from in 2011 before going on to make 58 league appearances, both as a permanent player and when he returned on loan in 2014 following his move to Tyneside.

With 152 top flight appearances to his name, Lascelles would bring some much-needed experience to Steve Cooper’s squad should he be pursued.

FLW’s Forest fan pundit Des Oldham is opposed to the move though, and believes the club should not look to the past when it comes to their upcoming business.

“Whilst a player with vast Premier League experience might be a great addition to the Forest squad, for me, I don’t think Lascelles is the answer,” Des said.

“It could be a backwards step for both the player and club having played here before, and I’m not quite sure he’s going to prove strong-enough competition for the players that have performed so well this season.

“Steve Cooper might be looking for a younger, more physical, quick defender to offer something a little bit different to what we already have.”

The Verdict

Forest will have to bolster their defence this summer, as beyond the main three