Nottingham Forest may sign a £11 million speedster with Gibbs-White, his ideal partner.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s arrival has greatly boosted Nottingham Forest.
But their FA Cup home match with Blackpool, which ended in a 2-2 draw, served as a reminder that there is still a lot of work to be done.
Therefore, the Tricky Trees will look to bolster their side in January, and they have their eye on an attacker.
Nottingham Forest transfers – the hunt for an attacker
According to Italian news outlet TuttoMercatoWeb, Forest are one of a handful of teams that are attempting to reach an agreement with Hellas Verona for Cyril Ngonge.
The 23-year-old is keen to continue his career at another club, and the Italian side won’t stand in his way. It’s reported that contact has already been made between the two clubs over a prospective deal.
However, they are demanding a fee of around £11m to acquire the Belgian’s services.
Why Cyril Ngonge is perfect for Gibbs-White
Even though Morgan Gibbs-White paid £42.5 million to join the Forest team in the summer of 2022, he is already making an impression. He will also be looking forward to reuniting with Nuno Santo, who helped him make his professional debut at Wolves.
The England U21 star has scored twice and provided an assist in four games since rejoining at the City Ground, bringing his total goal involvements for the season to six in all competitions.
Ngonge enters the picture as the boss searches for a player who can succeed alongside Gibbs-White in the attack because of injuries and a lack of depth.
The Belgian is currently the star of Hellas Verona, a Serie A team struggling to stay alive. This season, the attacker has participated in 19 games in the Italian first division. He has contributed two assists and six goals, which is slightly under half of his team’s overall goal total of 16.
Football journalist Josh Bunting described the 23-year-old as “lively,” and considering Ngonge plays in a side where quality is restricted, the statistics also indicate that.
| Ngonge’s 2023/24 Serie A Stats | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stats (per 90) | Ngonge | Ranking in Italy |
| Goals | 0.34 | Top 21% |
| xG | 0.27 | Top 21% |
| Shots total | 2.62 | Top 21% |
| Goals/shot on target | 0.38 | Top 23% |
| Successful take-ons | 1.88 | Top 28% |
| Stats via FBref | ||
As you can see, the former player for Club Brugge enjoys having an influence in the closing third, whether it’s by trying to take a player on or working half a yard of space for a shot.
The left-footed attacker has adjusted to playing for a team that plays with less possession of the ball by offering an outlet up top with his speed and enthusiasm, which goes well with Nuno’s counterattacking strategy for Forest. He would therefore be ideal for a creative outlet like Gibbs-White.
The attacker, who has filled in for a number nine, a second striker, and a right winger, is versatile. Ngonge is quite clinical, as seen by his goals-to-shot on-target ratio and xG overperformance; among the Forest players this season, only Chris Wood has scored more goals than him.
In light of Ngonge’s ability and the relatively low cost, the Midlands team appears to be making a wise decision in potentially signing him.
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