Nottingham Forest complete exciting transfer after quiet deadline day
Nottingham Forest have completed the signing of teenage winger Joel Ndala.
The 18-year-old has made the move on loan from Manchester City and will initially join the Reds' academy set-up. His move could become permanent in the summer, with Forest reportedly holding an option to buy worth £4 million.
Ndala spent the first half of this season on loan at PSV Eindhoven but was with their reserve side. He has also not featured for City at senior level.
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The highly-regarded teenager joined City from Port Vale in 2017 and is an England Under-19 international. After impressing at the 2023 Under-17 World Cup, he was singled out by ESPN as one to watch for the future and drew comparisons with Jeremy Doku.
Craig Mulholland, head of football development and talent management, said: "We are delighted that Joel will be joining us here at Forest. He is an exciting young talent who our recruitment team have tracked for some time.
"With our history of having an Academy graduate in every first team squad since the 1940s I know Joel will be excited by the pathway we have here at Forest for talent to progress. We wish him well for this next exciting chapter in his career, and all of our excellent staff are looking forward to working with him."
Ndala follows the signing of defender Tyler Bindon from Reading on deadline day as Forest bought for the future. Bindon was immediately loaned back to the Royals for the remainder of the campaign.
Throughout the transfer window Reds boss Nuno has insisted the club should only target “special” additions with the ability to improve his squad. The Portuguese has been mindful of the risks of rocking the boat, given his team are third in the Premier League table and pushing for European football.
“While the window is open, it is open. Anything can happen. But I will reinforce what I have been saying, not only to you (the media) but also to the club, more than anything our priority was to keep the players,” he said after Saturday’s 7-0 thumping of Brighton and Hove Albion.
“If it is something really special; if it is a piece - a player - that we really need and it is possible, fantastic, because we are not perfect and if somebody can help us, great. But that has to be somebody really special.”
