After Hutchinson: Nottingham Forest close to signing dream Elanga replacement
da apostaganha： While it might be something of a cliché, this season does feel like it’s going to be Nottingham Forest’s most important in a very long time.
da spicy bet： Nuno Espírito Santo’s side will need to prove that their form in the Premier League last year was no fluke, and on top of that, they’ll want to go as far as they possibly can in the Europa League.
Fortunately, there’s no reason to suspect that the Tricky Trees won’t be as good as they were last season, especially since the talismanic Morgan Gibbs-White is set to remain at the City Ground for the foreseeable future.
Moreover, while losing Anthony Elanga isn’t ideal, the club now look set to land someone who could be the perfect replacement.
Forest target perfect Elanga replacement
While the Gibbs-White saga has understandably dominated the headlines when it comes to Forest this summer, the club have made several smart additions to Nuno’s team so far.
Transfer Focus
Jair Cunha, for example, looks like he could develop into a useful defender for the side, while Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus produced a combined tally of 25 goal involvements last season, which could make all the difference this year.
However, there are still just over two weeks until the window slams shut, and the Tricky Trees seem intent on making the most of that time, reportedly set to welcome Ipswich Town’s Omari Hutchinson to the club, alongside Arnaud Kalimuendo.
Yet, according to a recent report from mainland Europe, Forest are also closing in on signing Dilane Bakwa.
The Belgian journalist has revealed that, while the club have seen their €26m + €5m (£22m + £4m) rejected by Strasbourg, the two clubs are now much “closer to an agreement” than before, and the transfer is now “almost there.”
While Tavolieri does not mention what the final fee for the French winger is likely to be, a story from L’Équipe from earlier this month claimed that the French side value him at up to €35m, which is about £35m, and while that is a lot of money, Bakwa would be worth it.
Why Bakwa would be a perfect Elanga replacement
So, while there is no debating that Elanga was brilliant for Forest last season and one of their most important attackers, it certainly appears that not only would Bakwa be a great replacement, but potentially even an upgrade.
For example, when it comes to their pure output last season, which is fundamentally what matters most for any attacker, it’s the Frenchman who comes out on top.
In his 31 appearances for Strasbourg, the dangerous “diamond,” as dubbed by journalist Zach Lowy, scored six goals and provided nine assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.06 games.
In contrast, the Swedish international scored six goals and provided 12 assists, but did so in 43 appearances, which comes out to a far less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.38 games.
However, it’s not just their output that paints the 22-year-old in a better light, as he comes out comfortably on top when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers.
Bakwa vs Elanga
Statistics per 90
Bakwa
Elanga
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.41
0.36
Progressive Passes
4.66
2.27
Progressive Passes Received
8.99
8.24
Progressive Carries
3.86
3.67
Shots
1.87
1.58
Shots on Target
0.79
0.86
Passing Accuracy
72.9%
65.3%
Key Passes
1.70
1.80
Passes into the Final Third
2.42
1.15
Passes into the Penalty Area
1.44
0.94
Crosses into the Penalty Area
0.36
0.29
Live Passes
34.7
25.1
Shot-Creating Actions
3.97
3.67
Goal-Creating Actions
0.58
0.65
Tackles
0.94
0.68
Blocks
0.76
0.40
Interceptions
0.54
0.22
Clearances
0.97
0.90
Successful Take-Ons
1.81
0.90
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season
In fact, it’s not even close, as the Créteil-born gem comes out ahead in almost every single relevant metric, including but not limited to non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, shot-creating actions, tackles, interceptions and more, all per 90.
In other words, the Ligue 1 ace looks to already be a relatively complete winger, who is as capable of creating chances as he is scoring them, and has no problem tracking back to do his defensive work either.
Ultimately, while he might cost them a little more than they were planning, Forest should be doing all they can to sign Bakwa as soon as possible, as not only does he look like the perfect replacement for Elanga, but he is also a potential upgrade.