Kenny Burns believes Joao Carvalho could be on his way out of Nottingham Forest after failing to make an impact under Martin O’Neill. The 22-year-old has scored and created a respectable 10 goals in 25 Championship starts since joining for a record-fee from Benfica last summer, but his form has fallen off a cliff in 2019.
Carvalho has scored just one goal since November 2018 and hasn’t made an assist for nearly five months either. He’s lost his place in the starting lineup as a result of poor form and Burns said in his column for Nottinghamshire Live that the midfielder could be moved on this summer as he’s not the type of player O’Neill wants.
He wrote: “I wouldn’t be surprised if Joao Carvalho ends up going this summer. It doesn’t really surprise me that he’s been on the bench. His body language (is) all wrong. He’s got talent, there’s no question of that. But I’m not sure he’s Martin’s kind of player. Martin wants players who are going to put the effort in, and Carvalho doesn’t always do that.”
Carvalho is Forest’s most expensive signing, but he’s amassed only 265 minutes of Championship football from a possible 1440 since New Year’s Day. The Portuguese midfielder has started only two league games in 2019 and has been an unused substitute on seven occasions.
Forest are in a difficult position. The most expensive signing is struggling for form and has been dropped from the starting eleven. The club could opt to sell Carvalho but finding a buyer won’t be easy as suitors aren’t going to jump at paying £13m for an out-of-form player. Burns wants him gone, but should Forest let him go so soon?
Crippy Cooke’s previous article
Nottingham Forest man’s ‘confidence has gone’, O’Neill should consider ‘moving him on’ – claim
