Nottingham Forest’s second signing of the January transfer window has arrived at the City Ground with an already impressive honours collection and bucketloads of potential.
Danilo is widely considered to be one of the hottest prospects in Brazil. He was a key player for Palmeiras before his move to England, has been compared to N’Golo Kante and had a host of big-name clubs eyeing him up before the Reds won the race for his signature.
There is no doubt he is a very exciting prospect. Snapping him up is a huge coup for Forest. He is quite the talent, and once he gets going has the ability to have a significant influence on games.
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Strengthening in midfield was a priority for the club this month. Along with bolstering their attack, bringing in a centre-back and now, most likely, a goalkeeper, following the injury to Dean Henderson.
The addition of Danilo gives Steve Cooper options. And also something of a headache. Who does he leave out to accommodate the 21-year-old?
Cooper rarely throws new signings straight in at the deep end, particularly younger players and ones with little-to-no experience of English football. Even with a question mark over whether Ryan Yates will be fit, it would still be something of a surprise to see Danilo in the starting XI for Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth. Initially, at least, picking up minutes from off the bench as he gets used to the Premier League and his teammates seems most likely.
Once he does get settled, though, Cooper will have a decision to make over how the Reds line up in the middle of the pitch. While Cheikhou Kouyate has been sidelined, the trio of Yates, Remo Freuler and Orel Mangala have generally worked well together.
But Yates, in particular, has divided opinion before. And he seems to be doing so again, with a split over whether he should be the man to make way for the new arrival.
What he offers the team and the impact he has had shouldn’t be underestimated, though. Not after the 2022 he has just had.
Yates was arguably Forest’s best and most consistent player up until the World Cup break. He picked up a string of man of the match awards and was a key factor in an upturn in fortunes. He became one of the first names on the team-sheet.
The likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Brennan Johnson and Taiwo Awoniyi (when fit) have started to catch the eye, but Yates has still played his part in some big results. He has made huge strides since Cooper has been in charge, and has taken that a step further by quickly adjusting to the top-flight - sooner than some of his teammates.
There are areas he still needs to work on. But he continually focuses on self-improvement, requesting daily meetings to review his data and his game.
Mangala and Freuler both have a touch of class about them. Deciding who misses out for Danilo is not easy. All bring something different to the table - Yates included.
If he does retain his place once the Brazilian finds his feet, he will have earnt it. The academy graduate has proved his doubters wrong before, and he’s more than capable of doing so again.
How should Forest line up in midfield following the arrival of Danilo? Have your say in the comments below
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