Another Brazilian is being eyed by Nottingham Forest; he would  solve their biggest issue

Nottingham Forest has made an incredible 34 new signings since returning to the Premier League in 2022, but they have yet been unable to secure a long-term replacement for a fan favorite.

After being promoted, goalie Pierre Samba quit the team because he wanted to go back home. He later signed with Lens and established himself as a mainstay in the French national team.

The Reds were temporarily filled by the loan acquisitions of Dean Henderson and Keylor Navas, who made an impression at the City Ground but did not sign a contract with the team.

dean-henderson-nottingham-forest-manchester-united

Instead, Forest paid a total of £18 million to buy Matt Turner and Odysseas Vlachodimos. Neither player was able to secure the top slot, therefore the club added Matz Sels in January to further strengthen their goalkeeping depth.

The team is showing interest in another Brazilian, but even if Sels is a good addition, they still need a long-term option between the sticks.

Forest is considering adding a new goalie.

Since being promoted to the Premier League, the Reds have had success with a number of Brazilian players. Players like Danilo, Felipe, Murillo, and Renan Lodi have all made an impression since joining the team.

Journalist Graeme Bailey claims that Forest is interested in recruiting 24-year-old goalkeeper Bento, who made his Brazil debut in the first squad on Saturday night’s 1-0 triumph over England at Wembley.

According to the report, his valuation is approximately £15 million. Nuno Espirito Santo’s team is up against competition from teams like Chelsea and Wolves to sign him.

bento-athletico-paranaenseIn his 11 games for the Brazilian team, the Athletico Paranaense goalkeeper has only allowed up six goals while maintaining five clean sheets. Bento has played for his childhood team 148 times. Since making his debut for Paranaense in 2020 at the age of just 20, the goalie has been a mainstay for the team. As evidenced by the 3-3 draw with Spain earlier this week, he is an excellent shot-blocker in addition to being more than proficient with the ball at his feet.

Bento would address Forest’s primary problem.

The Reds have been forced to settle with short-term solutions since Samba’s departure in 2022; this is seen in the loan signings of Henderson and Navas. Under Nuno, Sels has emerged as the top player, but a season-to-season comparison of the two shows that Bento would be a significant improvement and undoubtedly a wise investment.
Bento v Sels 2023/24 (per 90)
Statistics Bento Sels
Goals against 1.1 1.3
Save percentage 78% 63%
Crosses stopped 7.4% 3.6%
Clean sheet percentage 32% 19%
Stats via FBref

The Brazilian is clearly superior in every way, as evidenced by the table above, where Bento concedes less goals per contest while still keeping an outstanding save percentage and winning more crosses than Sels.

Bento, who is only 24 years old, has room to grow since the goalkeeper is still just starting out in his professional career. This month’s debut for the national team showcases his quality and promise, as the young player has seized the chance with both hands.

Bento has the potential to be the Reds’ long-term Samba replacement, thus the club should put up great effort to seek a contract for the Paranaense goalkeeper given Forest’s recent success with Brazilians.

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