Nottingham Forest join race to sign Leeds United ace Greenwood
Sam Greenwood is attracting major Championship attention with Nottingham Forest the latest side to register their interest in a loan for the Leeds United striker, according to Leeds Live.
The news outlet reports that the 19-year-old has been added to Steve Cooper’s shortlist at the City Ground as they look to freshen up an ageing front line.
Cooper’s former side Swansea City are also hoping to strike a deal for Greenwood where he would link up with exciting attacker Joel Piroe who has 11 Championship goals to his name this season already.
LeedsLive have added the information about Greenwood to a previous claim by Guardian journalist Will Unwin, who reported earlier this week that Inter Milan’s Martín Satriano, Brentford’s Marcus Forss and Benfica’s Gonçalo Ramos are also targets.
The Time is Right
Greenwood has stepped his game up to another level this season for the Under-23 side with seven goals and four assists playing in a more reserved number 10 role.
But academy football and the men’s game is a huge step and the second half of this season offers a great chance for the England Under-21 international to gain experience.
With the imminent return of Patrik Bamford to Marcelo Bielsa’s team, Greenwood is likely to see opportunities at Elland Road become less frequent at a time when he needs minutes more than anything.
Forest and Swansea offer different challenges for Greenwood with the Swans languishing in 16th while Forest are chasing a playoff place in ninth.
Forest is clearly the more appealing of the two if you look purely at the league table but Greenwood’s development might be furthered elsewhere.
If he were to score consistently in a struggling team like Swansea, it would display a desire and temperament that would catch Bielsa’s eye more than scoring in an already winning side.
Wherever the 19-year-old ends up when the transfer window closes, he needs this loan move if he is to challenge for a regular place in the Leeds United team from next season.
In other Leeds United news, this ‘model professional’ is a target for Bielsa and Leeds.