Nottingham Forest will undoubtedly be hoping that the forthcoming Premier League season does not come down to the wire, like it did in the previous season.
The Nottinghamshire club ended 17th, just one place and six points above the relegation zone, after all three Championship promoted sides were relegated to the second division.
Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Nuno Espirito Santo took over the club halfway through the season, succeeding promotion-winning manager Steve Cooper. This will be his first opportunity to have an impact on the group, with a pre-season and a full summer transfer window.
As a result, the club has recruited Elliot Anderson, Marko Stamenic, Carlos Miguel, and Eric da Silva Moreira to its roster, while Moussa Niakhate, Orel Mangala, and Remo Freuler have left, as have other free agents.
The club will also be aiming to lock down several of their key players, including midfielder Ryan Yates, who, according to Football Insider, is in negotiations about a new contract with the club.
The player’s contract is set to expire in a year, but the club is eager to prolong his tenure at the City Ground.
Who is Ryan Yates?
Yates, a boyhood Forest supporter and academy graduate, has been with the club since 2005, when he joined at the age of seven. He has almost 200 first-team appearances after working his way up the ranks, and he played an important role in the club’s elevation to the Premier League alongside Brennan Johnson.
Yates has also had several loan spells, including Barrow, Shrewsbury Town, Scunthorpe United, and, most notably, a brief stint with fierce rival Notts County.
He played 29 games for the club, whose stadium is just a stone’s throw away, scoring six goals and providing three assists.
Nottingham Forest Academy at its best
Nottingham Forest’s playing staff has undergone significant changes in recent years as the club strives for a higher Premier League result. Their owner has been open about his desire for glory and readiness to spend much to compete with their high-spending competition.
This expenditure got them into difficulty, culminating in a four-point deduction last season.
However, at the heart of this historic and previous European champion club is an academy that has produced some exceptional players throughout its history. This is frequently overlooked in favor of big-money moves over providing a clear path to the first squad, and yet Yates has not only done so but has kept his status.
Fellow graduate Brennan Johnson joined Tottenham Hotspur, but Yates has stayed, battling with an ever-increasing roster of new players to help his side survive in the Premier League.