One winner and one loser at Nottingham Forest if club seal deal for Newcastle United man | OneFootball

Having already bolstered their squad this month by securing the services of Keinan Davis, Steve Cook and Richie Laryea, Nottingham Forest have now been linked with a potential swoop for Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff.

According to a report from Sunday’s print edition of the Daily Mirror (23/1, page 72), the Reds are believed to be lining up a £2m move for Longstaff.

If this report turns out to be true, it will be intriguing to see whether Forest boss Steve Cooper is able to convince the Newcastle midfielder to seal a move to the City Ground.

Providing that the Reds are able to finalise a move for Longstaff before the current window shuts, his arrival will have a knock-on effect on some of the club’s other players.

Here, we have decided to take a look at ONE winner and ONE loser at Forest if they reach an agreement with Newcastle over a deal for Longstaff…

Winner: Djed Spence

A stand-out performer for Forest this season, Djed Spence’s ability to provide an attacking threat from his right-back role has caused havoc for opposition defences.

The 21-year-old is currently averaging 1.8 successful dribbles per game in the second-tier whilst he has also provided 0.8 key passes per match at this level (as per WhoScored).

Spence could potentially improve these aforementioned statistics if Longstaff joins Forest as the midfielder may be able to provide some defensive cover due to the fact he is averaging 2.8 tackles per game for Newcastle in the Premier League.

Providing that Spence is able to create and score goals for the Reds in the coming months, he could help them secure a play-off place in the Championship.

Loser: Cafu

When you consider that Cafu is already behind the likes of James Garner, Ryan Yates and Jack Colback in the pecking order at Forest, he may be forced to watch on from the sidelines if Forest bolster their midfield options by swooping for Longstaff.

Quiz: Have Nottingham Forest signed a player from each of these 20 clubs in the last 5 seasons?

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Have Nottingham Forest signed a player from Watford in the last five seasons?

The 28-year-old has only been utilised on six occasions in the Championship this season by the Reds and has been left on the bench for four of Forest’s last five league fixtures.

If Cafu is unable to make inroads on the club’s starting eleven during the remainder of the campaign, he may find it beneficial to seek a permanent exit from the City Ground in the summer in order to prevent his career from stalling.