Nottingham Forest have agreed to a loan with an option to buy deal with Manchester City for ‘talented’ English winger Joel Ndala according to Fabrizio Romano. The 18-year-old had been on loan with PSV, playing only for their reserve side as he got his first taste of senior football. Last Word on Football looks at the deal and how the young winger will fit in at The City Ground.
‘Here We Go’: Nottingham Forest to Loan ‘Talented’ English Winger in Joel Ndala
Ndala Signs For Nottingham Forest
Ndala will join Forest on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season for £4 million. The deal also includes a 20% sell-on clause if The Reds sell the young winger in the future. To make the deal, Manchester City had to cancel the 18-year-old’s current loan at PSV. He had played 12 games for the Dutch champions’ reserve side, scoring one goal and registering one assist.
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The 18-year-old has been signed with a view to the future and would’ve benefitted massively from his experiences in the Netherlands. Ndala featured for Manchester City in preseason, playing 45 minutes against Celtic and 20 minutes against Chelsea. Being involved with the Premier League champions first team at such a young age shows how highly rated the young winger is.
Ndala Faces Long Route To Forest First Team
Ndala is a project and it may be years before we see him playing regularly for Forest’s first team. Officials at the City Ground can assess the 18-year-old over the next few months and see if he is worth the £4 million option to buy fee. He will likely link up with The Reds’ u21 squad while making the occasional appearance on the bench.
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It has been an uncharacteristically quiet transfer window for Forest. The Reds had only made two signings before moving to sign Ndala. 20-year-old Tyler Bindon joined from Reading before rejoining The Royals for the rest of the season. Wayne Hennesey was also signed to provide further depth for the goalkeeping department.
