Why Nottingham Forest should avoid signing Wes Morgan next summer
According to Nottinghamshire Live, Leicester City defender Wes Morgan has kept the door open to a fairytale return to his boyhood club next summer when his contract the King Power Stadium comes to end.
The 35-year-old centre-back has confirmed that he will wait until the end of the season and see how he feels, physically and mentally, before considering his next step- whether to continue his playing days or start a coaching career. (h/t Nottingham Post)
Morgan racked up a staggering 380 appearances for the Reds in all competitions from 2002 to 2012 before departing City Ground to join local rivals Leicester City in January 2012 but he might be set to complete an emotional return to his hometown club at the end of the season.
The 30-cap Jamaican international guided the Foxes to a triumphant 2013-14 campaign in the Championship and played every minute of their famous Premier League-winning season in 2015-16, thus becoming only the third outfield player after Gary Pallister and John Terry in Premier League history to play every minute of a title-winning campaign.
The veteran, who signed a one-year extension earlier in the year to extend his stay at the King Power Stadium until 2020, started 21 games in the Premier League for the Foxes last term but he has only been entrusted with a bit-part role by Brendan Rodgers this season due to his advancing years.
Morgan has made only 4 appearances for Leicester in all competitions thus far but he continues to be an influential presence on and off the pitch due to his wealth of experience.
Regarded as a charismatic leader of men, the towering central defender still looks as fit as a fiddle and dropping down to the Championship next season would be a good way to prolong his career for another couple of years.
To that end, though, Nottingham Forest snapping him up on a free transfer wouldn’t make a lot of sense even if the Reds fail to secure promotion to the Premier League.
Forest are currently flying high in the second tier under Sabri Lamouchi, and while a much-awaited promotion to the top-flight would most certainly rule out a fairytale return for Wes Morgan, the Reds would be better off resisting the temptation to welcome their hero back to the City Ground should the worst befall.
After tasting Premier League glory and playing in the UEFA Champions League, the homecoming of 35-year-old next summer for what could be one last hurrah is likely to be an emotional scene for most fans, however, it is hard to see as to why the Reds would possibly want to sign him.
Verdict
Notwithstanding the fact that Morgan would add a lot to the squad in terms of experience and quality, it is hard to envisage him getting too many opportunities due to the existing plethora of defensive talents at the club.
With Michael Dawson and Joe Worrall establishing themselves as the first-choice centre-back pairing under Lamouchi, the likes of Chema Rodriguez and Tobias Figueiredo have only played a bit-part role at the City Ground, not to mention others like Yoane Benalouane and Alexander Milosevic, who are yet to get a serious look in from the manager.
Plus, with Jack Robinson also boasting of the versatility to play at centre-back, Forest currently have seven players competing for two roles at the heart of the defence and adding another ageing head like Wes Morgan to an already-stocked central defensive cavalry could lead to unwanted selection dilemmas.
As a matter of fact, Forest should eye a massive clear-out next summer to get rid of the deadwood in their ranks, regardless of where they play their football.
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Lamouchi has illustrated good proficiency in working with the developing players at the club and Forest raiding the market for some burgeoning young talents next summer would make a lot more sense than bringing Wes Morgan back on a free transfer.
Suffice to say, this is a move that the Reds should avoid at all costs as it would only be a step backwards after a fine start to life under Lamouchi.