Joao Carvalho has left Nottingham Forest to join Spanish Segunda Liga side Almeria on a season long loan with the Mediterranean based outfit having an option to buy the Portuguese star at the end of the season.
Record signing Carvalho cost Forest £13m from Benfica in 2018 and although he didn’t always light up the City Ground, the attacking midfielder shown enough glimpses of technique and ability to have many admirers with fans disgruntled to see him go.
The 23-year-old was largely a fans favourite but was certainly not favourite of his Managers, in particular Martin O’Neill who ousted him from his plans almost immediately upon the Irishman’s arrival before likewise Sabri Lamouchi soon into his tenure.
The reasons why the Managers never saw eye to eye with the diminutive playmaker is one of the biggest questions Reds fans ask, many sad to see him go with many thinking he deserved more of a chance at the City Ground.
In all Carvalho played 66 games and scored 6 goals for Forest but 40 of those appearances were in his first season and he had just 153 minutes of Championship football in 2020.
Carvalho seemed mis-understood, a creative player that certain games would not suit, not the hardest working but give him the ball and he could make things happen. In his first season he created 8 assists and was just getting to grips with the ferocity of the English game, perhaps he wasn’t suited to the hussle and bustle of the Championship and perhaps Spain will suit him more, but fans feel fair chance would have been the only way of telling.
It is likely that more players will follow Carvalho with a more British approach towards the season ahead. Grumblings that Toby Figueiredo, Bruno Ribeiro and Tiago Silva will follow? Forest have a big squad and need to reduce their wage bill.
For Carvalho, playing in Spain for a side that is amongst favourites for promotion could be telling to see how good a player he can go on to become. Not the first Red to join Almeria, the Portuguese U21 International joins Arvin Appiah who made the switch to the Spanish South Coast last season.
Whether it be the last or not we see of Carvalho in Nottingham depends on how well he does in Andalucía and how much either team wants him come the end of the season, by then things could be a whole lot different Trentside.
*Main image @UDAlmeria Carvalho presented to the Spanish side yesterday.
