Nottingham Forest: Cooper might challenge Elanga with academy ‘baller’ Nottingham Forest may be on the verge of discovering the next diamond from their academy.
Nottingham Forest have become a pioneer in developing talent from their academy and allowing them to blossom in the first-team over the years.
Current players Joe Worrall and Ryan Yates advanced to the first team by excelling in the underage groups, receiving a call-up to the senior squad, and playing important parts in the club’s upward trend, totaling 391 appearances and counting.
On the other hand, players like Matty Cash and Brennan Johnson have gone through the youth system, climbed to prominence at the City Ground, and then left the club for greener pastures after developing into high-value players.
While Cash joined Aston Villa for £16 million in 2020, Johnson’s stellar Premier League performances last season earned him a £47.5 million move to Tottenham this summer.
The potential at Forest continues to pour, and the next highly-rated youngster seeking to make his mark in the first squad is 20-year-old winger Brandon Aguilera.
Brandon Aguilera is a celebrity.
Aguilera, a Costa Rican international, joined the Reds on a four-year contract from LD Alajuelense in July last year, but was quickly loaned back out to Guanacasteca and then Estoril.
While those loans prepared the 20-year-old for the rigors of senior football, his return to the City Ground was positively received by Steve Cooper, who spoke highly of him.
“To be honest, we’ve been really impressed with him – his level and his attitude,” he remarked. Is he not from around the corner? He’s come over here, and for him to settle in so well, he must be mature.
“He’s a young player for whom we’re excited to develop a program.” But that will stay with us for the foreseeable future until January, when we will reassess.”
Cooper isn’t the only one who has gushed over Aguilera’s potential; Forest players have taken notice as well, with Moussa Niakhate referring to him as a “baller” after demonstrating some clever footwork during a pre-season camp in Spain.
After shining well under the watchful eyes of his colleagues last season, he has carried that energy into this campaign, scoring two goals and providing one assist in three Premier League 2 games alongside Jamie McDonnell and Ateef Konate.
Cooper has proven in the past that he isn’t hesitant to throw kids into the deep end, and if Aguilera can maintain his early season success, he might be rewarded with opportunities to impress in the first squad, potentially competing with summer arrival Anthony Elanga.
This season, how has Anthony Elanga performed for Forest?
Elanga, like Aguilera, is a highly rated young winger who joined the Reds in a £15 million summer transfer from Manchester United.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has hailed the 21-year-old.
Elanga has a Sofascore rating of 7.07 and has caught the eye with his searing pace and powerful ball carrying, ranking inside the top 7% for progressive carries and top 20% for successful take-ons per 90 when compared to positionally similar players across Europe’s top five leagues in the past year, according to FBref.
Aside from showcasing his ability to burst past defenders at speed and carry Forest into dangerous positions on the counter, Elanga is far from done, which is to be anticipated given his age.
The Sweden international falls short in the final third, although showing hints this season, ranking in the top 43% for non-penalty goals.
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