Opinion: Nottingham Forest should return for £15k-per-week Everton man to strengthen midfield
Soccer Football - Championship - Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest - Portman Road, Ipswich, Britain - December 2, 2017 Nottingham Forest's Kieran Dowell celebrates scoring their first goal Action Images/Alan Walter EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
If reports are to be believed, Liam Bridcutt and Claudio Yacob could be on their way out of Nottingham Forest and Jack Colback could remain at Newcastle United this summer. Martin O’Neill has already been linked with Massimo Luongo of Queens Park Rangers and is expected to bring in at least one midfielder ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.
One player who they should consider is Kieran Dowell – a player they had on their books in 2017/18 (43 appearances in all competitions). The £15k-per-week Everton man is available for loan this summer and has been linked with a return to the Championship.
Dowell doesn’t appear to have a future at Goodison Park after making only five appearances since rising through the youth ranks to the first-team in 2017. He’s spent the last two years out on loan – Forest (August 3, 2017 – May 31, 2018), Sheffield United (January 2, 2019 – May 31, 2019) – and could jump at the chance to return to the City Ground.
The 21-year-old contributed 13 goals in 31 Championship starts at Forest, creating 59 chances, making 50 successful dribbles (68%), averaging 33 passes with 77% accuracy and averaging a tackle (36) or interception (12) every 56 minutes. Dowell could be a good option, but it’s unknown if O’Neill is looking at the midfielder.