Nottingham Forest have had a fairytale first half of the 2024/25 campaign under Nuno Espirito Santo. The men in Garibaldi Red are flying, with 40 points on the board and six wins in their last six games. That leaves them third in the Premier League, behind second-place Arsenal only on goal difference at this stage.
One of their standout players in recent weeks has been midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White. The 24-year-old has four goals and three assists in 16 Premier League games and was described as a “very exciting” player by Lee Carsley, the former England interim manager.
Forest are eyeing up more midfield depth this January, and could make a move to sign someone to play in a deeper role to their talisman Gibbs-White.
Nottingham Forest’s midfield target
The player in question here is Colombian midfielder Richard Rios. The 24-year-old has been making maves at his current club Palmeiras and has been linked with a move away from the club his winter.
Now, according to a report from CaughtOffside, the East Midlands outfit are believed to be ‘pushing hard to land Rios in the January window’, with the view of targeting their midfield before the window slams shut at the start of February.
However, they will not be alone in their pursuit of the Colombia international. Rios is also a target for Tottenham Hotspur and is ‘high on their list’ this winter. Everton are also considering a move. The midfielder has a reported release clause of £84m, but it is unclear if that fee can be negotiated.
Why Rios would be a good signing
It was a really impressive 2024 for Rios in both a Palmeiras shirt and for the Colombian national team. At club level, the 24-year-old made 49 appearances last year, scoring four goals and grabbing five assists.
He was also a key component of his nation’s run to the final of the 2024 Copa America. He started all six games across the group and knockout stages as they reached the final before losing to Argentina. Rios was on the scoresheet in a 5-0 win over Panama.
Rios could be an even better midfield option than Douglas Luiz. Forest were linked with him as recently as the 8th of January, according to Fabrizio Romano, with the journalist suggesting his ‘situation is open’ and he could make a move during the winter transfer window.
It has been a tough season for the Brazilian, who, unlike Rios, has barely featured for his club, Juventus. He has played just 14 times across all competitions since his move from Aston Villa last summer.
There are certainly a lot of reasons why Luiz would make a good signing, given his high-quality skill on the ball. With that being said, statistics on FBref suggest that Rios might be a better acquisition for Forest this season.
The Colombian, described as a “monster” by football analyst Ben Mattinson, is fantastic defensively and actually ranks higher in several key defensive metrics than the formerVilla star.
Indeed, one of those is ball recoveries per 90 minutes, with the Palmeiras star averaging 6.55 compared to the Old Lady midfielder’s 5.53 each game.
Rios also makes far more tackles and interceptions, averaging 5.54 per 90 minutes compared to Luiz, who averages just 2.43 each game.
Stat (per 90)
Rios
Luiz
Tackles and interceptions
5.54
2.43
Ball recoveries
6.55
5.53
Blocks
1.39
0.96
Clearances
0.77
0.54
Sieral duels won
1.13
0.75
Having a player with such defensive quality can certainly benefit the likes of Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson. They can have more attacking licence without having to worry about defensive responsibility, given how good Rios is off the ball.
Forest needn’t worry about his quality with possession, given he averages 5.31 progressive passes, more than Luiz for what it is worth, and 1.03 successful take-ons per game. The Colombian is a silky dribbler.
Whilst the fee is not guaranteed at this stage, signing Rios could be an excellent investment for Forest at the right price. He is young and experienced on the biggest stage, as his international exploits with Colombia suggest.
This could be the perfect signing for Forest to help take them to the next level, perhaps as far as the Champions League next season.
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ByBrett WorthingtonJan 13, 2025