Nottingham Forest eye dramatic move that may upset loyal Southampton fans…
Nottingham Forest are targeting a rising Saints star in a move that could leave Southampton fans heartbroken this summer.
Nottingham Forest have reportedly joined the race to sign Southampton’s mercurial young talent, Tyler Dibling.
The Saints are reported to be demanding a minimum fee of around £55 million before they sanction a deal for the player.
Tyler Dibling caught the eye in his breakout season
Dibling made his Premier League debut coming on as substitute in last season’s curtain raiser away at Newcastle. His eye-catching performances off the bench in the opening three games earned him a first Premier League start at home to Manchester United in the middle of September.
Although Saints lost 3-0 at St Mary’s that day, Dibling caught the eye of the BBC Match of the Day cameras. In the opening 20 minutes of the match he had been unplayable.
On the half-hour mark against United, Dibling went on a surging run, beating Portuguese defender Diogo Dalot – whom he had been tormenting since kick-off – before being brought down just inside the box.
As Cameron Archer stepped up and tamely rolled the resulting penalty into Onana’s outstretched right hand – and even before he chipped the rebound straight into the keeper’s grateful arms – the watching scouts were no doubt already busy swiping right on their iPads with Dibling in mind.
Before the year was over, Dibling had scored his first two goals for Southampton. His first, just five minutes into the match against Ipswich was an example of Dibling’s touch and confidence. He allowed a low pass from Lallana to roll across his body as he feinted to go the other way before blasting a low shot confidently to the keeper’s left.
Tyler Dibling
Southampton FC v Ipswich Town FC – Premier League | Dan Istitene/GettyImages
But that was about as good as it got for Dibling in his breakout season. A tap-in away at Crystal Palace and an assist at Old Trafford were the highlights of a campaign that went downhill after the 19-year-old suffered an ankle injury. His deployment in a central role away at Bournemouth marked a low point and never really worked, as Russell Martin’s side tried to pass their way through a hellish season.
Russell Martin admitted that Dibling is the ‘most talented’ player he’s ever worked with, which will be music to the ears of Forest supporters.
Forest’s interest makes complete sense for all concerned
The approach from Forest makes complete sense in the wake of Anthony Elanga being sold to Newcastle and on-off speculation that Morgan Gibbs-White could soon be on his way to Tottenham Hotspur.
Dibling, like Elanga, can dribble at pace – a hallmark of Nuno Espírito Santo’s Nottingham Forest side. He can also be effective in an attacking midfield role so could deputise for Gibbs-White in Dibling’s preferred position.
Nuno Espirito Santo
West Ham United FC v Nottingham Forest FC – Premier League | Steve Bardens/GettyImages
New Southampton boss, Will Still has claimed prior to the reported interest from Forest that Dibling is not close to an exit. Speaking to Sky Sports, Still told reporters that “Tyler’s still here, I’ve had a good conversation with Tyler. He’s not close to anything, really.”
Currently, Dibling has featured in all of Southampton’s pre-season friendlies, scoring against Gillingham in the most recent warm-up match.
At least, if he does leave, Southampton will make a good return on their home-grown talent. Fans, on the other hand, will miss seeing those silky skills, blistering pace, and perfect balance at St Mary’s when the campaign gets underway in a few weeks time.
The England youth international made 38 appearances in all competitions in his first full senior season scoring four goals and registering three assists.
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