Barely three months ago, the idea of Nottingham Forest taking up their purchase option on Renan Lodi seemed a no-go.
Now, it has to be a no-brainer. Indeed, already it has the makings of potentially being one of the Reds’ most important pieces of transfer business of the summer.
There is a long way to go before then, of course. A lot can happen. Plenty will depend on what division Forest find themselves in - improving every week and having climbed to 13th in the table, they have given themselves a great chance of retaining Premier League status, though.
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Any decision is likely to rest, too, on what Lodi wants; whether he is happy to remain in England. Being joined by fellow Brazilians Gustavo Scarpa and the incoming Danilo should help with that, and the 24-year-old certainly appears to be becoming more settled Trentside.
But if everything aligns, signing Lodi on a permanent basis would be a great move. He has become an important member of the team and played a key part in Forest’s upturn in form.
Opening his goal account with a cracker of a strike against Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup really got him going. He has kicked on from there and made huge strides, particularly since the World Cup break.
The Atletico Madrid loanee was excellent against Wolverhampton Wanderers last Wednesday night. And he was terrific again in Saturday’s victory over Leicester City. Some of his deliveries have been exquisite, while he has become much more defensively solid.
The Reds have benefitted from having a settled back line. Up until his injury, Willy Boly had formed a good partnership with Joe Worrall in the centre, and Lodi and Serge Aurier on either flank have been superb.
Perhaps one point which could come into the club’s thinking over Lodi is the number of left-backs on the books. Omar Richards is yet to make his debut, having been sidelined since the summer with a hairline fracture of the leg, and Forest will no doubt want to see where he is at come the end of the season.
The hope is, of course, that he is back playing by then; he is an incredibly bright talent, after all. But given the length of time he has been out for, might it take a while for him to get up to speed and find top form once he does recover? That’s unknown territory.
Head coach Steve Cooper can also call upon Harry Toffolo, who has generally done a steady job when deployed. Meanwhile, Neco Williams can play on either side.
Whatever happens, even now there is the sense it will be another big summer for the Reds. But if he continues in the same way between now and then, Lodi has got to have put himself in line for a deal at the City Ground.
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