Nottingham Forest set for contract talks with 24-year-old

Nottingham Forest are set to offer Ryan Yates a new contract at the club, according to The Sun on Sunday (February 27, page 61).

The 24-year-old, who has been at Forest since 2005 and came through their academy system, is out of contract in the summer of 2023 and like Brennan Johnson’s situation, the club hierarchy are desperate to keep hold of Yates.

Following loan spells at Barrow, Notts County, Shrewsbury Town and Scunthorpe United, Yates became a regular fixture in the Forest side during the 2019-20 season and has amassed 115 appearances in all competitions.

Yates has featured in all-but two league matches this season and has even been used as a makeshift centre-back at times by Forest head coach Steve Cooper, despite naturally being a central midfielder.

Cooper now wants to keep Yates around long-term and the club are set to enter contract talks in the near future in a bid to extend his stay at Forest, which currently stands at 17 years.

The Verdict

There’s stiff competition in the Forest midfield but Yates has proven to be a very reliable figure for Cooper wherever he’s played.

That is why Cooper and the club are keen to enter negotiations and strike a deal to tie him down for the foreseeable future because there will likely be interest in the summer due to his recent performances.

Considering his connection to the club though and for how long he’s been there, it shouldn’t be too difficult to do so.

It’s a different situation to Brennan Johnson’s where he’s being tracked by a whole host of Premier League clubs – that one could be complicated whereas Yates’ should be more straight-forward.

Source