Nottingham Forest have succeeded in their endeavour to sign Lewis Grabban. The former Bournemouth striker has put pen to a 4-year deal and while the fee is undisclosed, it is understood to be in the region of £6m.
Fact File
Grabban emerged through the youth ranks of Crystal Palace and went on to represent the senior side of a lot of English clubs including Crystal Palace, Millwall, Brentford, Norwich City and Bournemouth. He spent the first half of the previous campaign on loan with Sunderland and in the January transfer window, he signed for a loan spell with Aston Villa and helped them in imposing themselves as genuine contenders for promotion to the Premier League.
How Did He Fare Last Season?
During his loan spell with the Black Cats, Grabban plundered 12 goals in 19 games and despite the fact that Sunderland were struggling in the league, he kept finding the back of the net with relative ease. After moving to the ranks of the Villans, he smashed 8 goals in 18 appearances in the Championship and also garnered an assist.
Attributes
Capable of plying his trade as a centre-forward, winger as well as a central attacking midfielder, the 30-year-old is a superb attacker and was in a terrific goal-scoring form in the previous term. He is a clinical striker and thanks to his strong physical presence, he holds the fort well up front and invites his teammates to launch forward. Besides, his link-up play is commendable.
Moreover, he passes the ball in a shrewd manner and also has a fair amount of pace to burn. He has had two spells with the Cherries and featured on 115 occasions for them. But he fell out of favour and his exit makes a lot of sense. The success of this deal will please Nottingham Forest even more as they managed to bag him amidst interest from Leeds United, Birmingham City and Middlesbrough.
A Good Signing For Karanka?
Owing to the experience Grabban has accumulated over the course of his career, he would be an important player for Aitor Karanka this season. His side finished at the 17th spot in the Championship standings last season but must be aiming to better their credentials this time around. Forest have also signed Joao Carvalho from Benfica for a club-record deal of £13.2million and now with the addition of Grabban, it wouldn’t be absurd to state that the Championship outfit are going in the right direction.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
