Why Nottingham Forest must sign Newcastle outcast Jack Colback permanently
Aitor Karanka seems like a man on a mission. The Nottingham Forest boss must considerably strengthen his squad for the upcoming season and to that end, he has already made eight signings. Joao Carvalho, Michael Dawson, Tobias Figueiredo, Jack Robinson, Hillal Soudani and Costel Pantilimon have been bought, while Gil Dias and Diogo Goncalves have been brought in on loan.
However, the Spanish manager must sign a new No.9. According to reports, Karanka is interested in bringing back former loan man Jack Colback.
Colback seemingly has no future at Newcastle. During the first half of the last season, he failed to make the matchday squad even once and was loaned to Forest in January. He quickly became an important player for Karanka, taking part in 16 games and scoring one goal.
He also played a full 90 minutes in all of those matches and missed just one against Barnsley, when he was on the bench. With no future at St. James’ Park, Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez should offload him this summer.
Since his stay with Forest was quite productive, Karanka must consider signing him on a permanent basis. During his short stint with the Championship outfit, Colback recorded a passing percentage was 89.6%, making 2.7 tackles per game along with supplying 0.9 key passes.
Colback and Ben Watson formed a solid partnership in front of the defence and helped the team avoid relegation. But now the aim is different – Forest must aim to be a force to reckon with and Colback can help.
The former Sunderland man has many useful qualities. He’s comfortable with the ball at his feet, his positioning is top-notch, and his passing ability is also excellent. He’s vastly experienced, with almost 180 games in the Premier League for both Sunderland and Newcastle. Hence, his experience will be vital for Forest in their push for promotion.
Taking a look at the squad Karanka currently has at his disposal, it’s clear that they require reinforcements in the middle of the park. Ben Watson is still there, as are Liam Bridcutt and Adlène Guédioura. Then there’s young Matty Cash but the last term, he was used mostly as a right-midfielder.
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Colback requires regular playing time and Nottingham Forest need a new central midfielder. He certainly won’t get many chances at Newcastle and as long as he’s willing to reduce his wage demands, a transfer to Forest seems like a great move for all parties involved.
