Nottingham Forest legend Garry Birtles has taken a swipe at the transfer policy at the club – and thinks a Premier League striker should be the number one target.
Birtles – by his own admission – is quite renowned for throwing a negative spin on things occasionally when it comes to Forest.
He played for the club when European domination was an annual mark on the calendar and he perhaps struggles with the notion that Forest don’t sit in the same position these days.
Now, it’s the club’s transfer policy that has come under scrutiny with Birtles and he feels that more proven Premier League players should be the order of the day.
Garry Birtles wants Nottingham Forest to sign star Premier League striker
This is quite a remarkable claim from Birtles and it perhaps tops anything that he might have said before.
The former Forest hitman is baffled at Forest for not trying to sign Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke this summer.
Yes, that’s right, the player who scored 21 times last season – including a hat-trick against Forest – should be on the radar of the Reds who managed to stay up with just about a game to spare.
Solanke has been linked with a move to Tottenham previously and would likely cost around £60 million given his form last season.
Still, Birtles is incensed that Forest aren’t making a bid to sign the feared talisman at Premier League level.
He told the Forest Focus podcast: “You have to consider what you’re up against in the Premier League.
“We’ve struggled to stay up the last two seasons. I think having a gamble on a couple of players abroad – there’s not one English player in there – people will say there isn’t much English talent about.
“I’d be going for someone like the guy upfront for Bournemouth who scores all the goals, Solanke, nobody has been talking about him but against us last season he scored a hat-trick, why don’t you just go and put a massive bid in for him, I’d love to see him at the club because he scores goals on a regular basis, he knows where the back of the net is, why aren’t these names coming into the mix, why aren’t we looking into names like that who have a proven track record in the Premier League.
“These guys who are coming in from abroad, okay one might come off, but it’s difficult, how many more haven’t come off?”
Challenge for Forest is finding the next Solanke
Forest have to understand their position in the Premier League food chain and behind the scenes we think the club does grasp that.
Signing players like Elliot Anderson – who is English, Garry – Carlos Miguel, Jota Silva and Nikola Milenkovic gives them a core of players who are all of similar age and with vast potential.
Be the first to comment