Joe Jones: Jorge Grant's new Nottingham Forest deal after Notts County loan is success story for all three parties

So it's set in stone - Jorge Grant had signed a new three-year deal at Nottingham Forest.

Naturally I was pretty gutted - for weeks I had been hoping that maybe, just maybe, the Reds would have thought "nah, we don't really need him - let's just let him go". And then Grant would have opted to remain in Nottingham and signed for Notts County, and we could have celebrated a pretty spectacular coup from Alan Hardy and Kevin Nolan.

But let's be realistic for a moment. Why would Forest decide to just let a 22-year-old academy product, that is already on their books, and has shown vast improvement in just a few months on loan in a team in a challenging division, which at the time of joining was fighting for its Football League future, and contributed to their eventual survival, and over the next few seasons could go on to become Premier League quality - why would they let him walk away for nothing?

As own goals go, that wouldn't even be Chris Brass or Jamie Pollock level - it would be full-on Theresa May (although I'm sure Forest would at least get the timing of the Mexican wave right).

In terms of Grant's own future, he's come through the ranks at the City Ground, so it's pretty natural for him to want to cement a first-team place at the team which has nurtured him throughout the years, plus with them still being in the Championship and, crucially, under new ownership, there is that renewed hope (for them lot anyway) that Forest might go on an upward trajectory.

So yeah, it's a massive shame that the outcome hasn't quite gone the way I - and all other Notts fans - would have wanted. But we've got to look at the positives. In terms of Grant's services, he *could* yet be dispatched on loan again next season at Meadow Lane, so there is always that hope, no matter how slender.

And even if he doesn't, I will take solace in something that Hardy said a while back which, though somewhat controversial, makes perfect logical business sense - the strengthening of relations between Forest and Notts.

Yes, I would rather put deep heat on my unmentionables than be seen in a Forest top, and yes, I will carry on singing about it always being a faeces-related expletive on the red side of the Trent, and when chanting about Nottingham being full of fun, the third item on the list (won't mention the first two, family site and all that) will always be County instead of that other team.

But in terms of the relationship between the two clubs at community and at boardroom level, it helps to have the two teams on good terms. And the Grant loan not only gave Notts impetus to go on to survive in the Football League, but it also allowed the player himself to flourish and, with a new season on the horizon, Forest have themselves a much-improved player that could potentially spearhead a turnaround in their recent fortunes.

And as for Grant himself, he never even had to leave the city, which saved him having to leave his family and friends behind, faff around trying to find new accomodation, get used to a new part of the country and so on and so on.

And that kind of thing does not go unnoticed, so there's every chance that other loan dealings can be sorted out to the benefit of all three parties (Notts, Forest, and player), which can only be a good thing.

So as much at it sucks having that sliver of hope regarding Grant potentially becoming a permanent Notts player taken away, I'm looking at the bigger picture and it's very much reassuring - in the short and long term, it's proven a success story for all three parties.

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