This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
Newcastle are interested in signing Nottingham Forest’s Joe Worrall and could make a move for him in January, report The Sun.
What’s the latest?
The centre-back is in fine form this season and has gained praise from fans and manager alike, and at 22 he has years ahead of him to improve and develop into a top-level player.
According to The Sun, Steve Bruce is eager to add reinforcements to a defence which has underwhelmed so far, conceding 13 goals from eight in total, including five in one match against Leicester.
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The former Aston Villa boss made two additions to his defence over the summer in Jetro Willems and Emil Krafth, but could be after a central player that would suit a back five, which Bruce has used often since taking over.
However, it is believed that the player is keen on staying at the City Ground, with the club where he came through the academy and supported growing up, particularly as Sabri Lamouchi’s side are on a ten-match unbeaten run and sit second in the Championship.
Suits the club
The Magpies have had success previously in signing centre-backs from Nottingham Forest, with Jamaal Lascelles now captain of the side after arriving five years ago.
Worrall is in a similar position to where Lascelles was when he made the move. Interestingly, the 22-year-old’s 67 appearances mean he has played twice more for Forest than the 25-year-old did, and therefore he could be ready for the step up.
He also spent a year on loan at Rangers so has already experienced the pressure of playing for a big club and dealing with the expectation from fans, which is huge at Newcastle.
With a more traditional style, he could also suit Bruce’s style and impress fans with his no-nonsense attitude, whilst his leadership qualities led Steven Gerrard to suggest previously that “he will be a captain of whichever club he plays for”.
He has averaged 5.5 clearances per games this season and his dominance in that area could be very useful in a team which deals with a lot of crosses into their box, with an average of 22 per game – the second-highest in the Premier League.
If he can learn and adapt quickly then he could fit into Bruce’s system from the get-go and possibly earn himself a permanent place in the side for years to come.
