Forgotten forward Zach Clough has left Championship side Nottingham Forest for Wigan Athletic on a permanent move. The exit brings to an end a three-year spell without featuring for the Reds.
Zach Clough Departs Nottingham Forest for Wigan Athletic
Out of Favour Forward Leaves Forest
Clough joined Forest during the January transfer window of 2017 on a deal worth £2.5 million from Bolton Wanderers.
The deal means that Clough will follow in the footsteps of Tendayi Darikwa, who joined the Latics last week.
Initially, he proved a good addition to the squad, entering under caretaker boss Gary Brazil, but consistency failed to materialise under Mark Warburton.
Clough joined Forest in 2017 with plenty of potential: 21 goals in 48 league starts for Bolton meant he was seen as an exciting youngster.
The young forward grabbed an assist in his third Forest game (against Norwich City), and netted twice in a 3-0 victory over Chris Hughton’s promotion-chasing Brighton & Hove Albion.
He failed to live up to his full expectations and has fallen well down the pecking order at the City Ground. His last Forest appearance was three years ago.
Move Beneficial For Both Parties
It is hard to see any negatives from this deal. A move from the City Ground should allow Clough to rebuild his confidence and get playing opportunities – something that was unlikely to happen on Trentside.
Consistency was one of the major downfalls for Clough, and it will be interesting to see whether he can revive his career elsewhere.
The move also allows Hughton greater freedom within the wage budget, allowing the Forest boss to focus his attention on getting valuable additions.
Clough’s departure is the third piece of outgoing business completed by the Reds. Nicholas Ioannou – out of favour behind Yuri Ribeiro – has already joined Greek side Aris Thessaloniki.
Darikwa is the other departure, allowing Clough to have a friendly face when they link-up at the DW Stadium together.
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