Jump to content
Joe Jones
Joe Jones

Joe Jones: Notts County are in good stead to make most of loan market

Jorge Grant's long-term future has now been decided, and the 22-year-old has decided to stay put at Nottingham Forest. There goes the slender hope we had of potentially signing our undisputed loan star last season.

In hindsight, it was a no-brainer for Forest to offer him a contract and, with the club in the Championship and under new ownership, Grant cannot be faulted for staying put - not to mention it's the club where he came through the ranks, so he'll of course be wanting to win himself a first-team place there.

But there's no point crying over spilt milk. Kevin Nolan will surely have been aware that the likelihood of Grant being released by Forest, and indeed of Grant opting to leave them once a new contract offer was on the table, was slender.

There is no doubt that Nolan will be scouting the loan market this off season with an eye on bringing more Premier League or Championship youngsters to Meadow Lane. Indeed, I feel the loan market is where Notts can bring in the quality needed to give the team an extra edge in League Two, an incredibly competitive and even competition where anyone can beat anyone else.

Grant's success in the black and white stripes turned out to be a success for all three parties involved - Notts stayed up thanks to Grant's play and goals, the player himself developed massively in a short space of time and ended up bagging himself a new deal at his parent club, and Forest now have an asset which will benefit their own squad.

Given how Notts will likely have gone up highly in Forest's estimations with regards to developing their players, it wouldn't be unrealistic to suggest Nolan is likely to be given first dibs for any other Reds youngsters who need first-team action.

And this isn't just between Forest and Notts. The other loanees who joined in the second half of the season also left Meadow Lane wiser and more experienced than when they came in, with Arsenal's Marc Bola singing County's praises following his stint in Nottingham.

And of course who can forget the impact made by two other young loanees a few seasons back - Callum McGregor and Jack Grealish? The former is now a treble winner at Celtic, the latter has since carved out a first-team place at Aston Villa.

Put simply, as of summer 2017 Notts have a stellar reputation when it comes to nurturing young loanees, and when you add Nolan's clout and his little book of contacts to the concoction, it means we may well see plenty more talented young loanees wearing the black and white stripes in months, maybe even years, to come.

Share your thoughts about this feature article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans.

  • Like 2




Share your PRIDE with PON! Visit our Community Forum

Join us - Discuss - Write for us - Debate - Contact us


Member Feedback

Recommended Comments

Chris

Posted

I think that extra quality we require will no doubt emerge from the loan market, I know most will want to avoid it - yet if we are smart and recruit in the right players. We might actually see some budding talent at the lane again. Use the budget to get good league experience, add the power and quality from the loan market.

Kevin Nolan will have his contacts.

  • Like 1
GrannyPie

Posted

Fingers crossed  KN brings in a gem or three.



Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

About PON

Pride of Nottingham

Pride of Nottingham is an independent fansite devoted to Notts County, the world’s oldest professional football club. Created in 2013, it has served as a source of Magpie news, features, match previews, reports, analysis and interviews for more than three years.

Support PON

Enjoy our content? Want to help us grow? Your donation will go a long way towards improving the site!

donate-pon.png

Meet the Team

Chris Chris Administrators
super_ram super_ram Global Moderators
DangerousSausage DangerousSausage Global Moderators
CliftonMagpie CliftonMagpie Global Moderators

Social Media

×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Pride of Nottingham uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. To approve, simply continue using the site or click 'I accept' Terms of Use.