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Nottingham Forest are in dreamland. The East Midlands club are halfway to Champions League qualification, and it certainly seems like they are in with a great chance of reaching the competition and playing among Europe’s elite once again for the first time in decades.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are currently third in the Premier League, with only Arsenal and Liverpool ahead of them. They are four points inside the top four, which also includes Newcastle United, and are certainly in a strong position for Champions League qualification this term.
Defensively, they have been fantastic, letting just 20 goals in, with Arsenal the only side to concede fewer goals with 19. Their attack has also been deadly this term, with Callum Hudson-Odoi part of that attacking force.
Hudson-Odoi’s 2024/25 season so far
It has been an incredibly profitable season so far for the attackers donning that famous Garibaldi Red shirt. Chris Wood has been on fire with 13 goals, and winger Anthony Elanga has scored and assisted eight times.
Hudson-Odoi has perhaps underwhelmed in terms of his goals and assists compared to his attacking teammates. The former Chelsea star has scored twice and provided two goals for his teammates in 19 Premier League games.
However, he has shown just how good he can be in a Forest shirt over the 55 games he has played for them so far. The England international has ten goals and four assists so far for the East Midlands club, including a famous goal away to Premier League leaders Liverpool earlier in the season in a 1-0 win.
There have certainly been some impressive moments from Hudson-Odoi this term, although he has arguably left a little to be desired, and Nuno’s side could perhaps benefit from more attacking output, despite his incredibly hard work.
Thus, it might not be a surprise that the East Midlands outfit have been linked to another winger this January.
Forest could land dream Hudson-Odoi upgrade
The player in question here is Galatasaray winger Baris Alper Yilmaz. According to a report from Turkish news outlet Fanatik, via Sport Witness, earlier this week, the East Midlands side ‘have been watching the Turkey international’, and could make a move for him in the January transfer window.
Further reports indicated interest from a raft of the Premier League clubs, with a fee of around €30m (£26m) having been suggested.
The 24-year-old has been in sensational form for the Turkish giants this term, which could well mean he moves away from the club this January.
Across all competitions, he has 11 goals in 27 games, including 10 goals in 18 Turkish top-flight games. He scored both goals in Galatasaray’s 2-1 win over Istanbul Basaksehir last weekend.
One thing that the 24-year-old Galatasaray man will add to the Forest attack is versatility. This term, he has played nine games as a right-winger and eight games as a left-winger and has even played as a full-back at times. That will be excellent flexibility for Nuno to rely on.
When looking at the statistical comparisons between Hudson-Odoi and Yilmaz, there are clear differences that stretch further than goal and assist numbers, which is perhaps further evidence that a move from Forest might be smart.
The clinical and creative nature of the Turkey star really shines through when looking at his stats on Sofascore. He has an impressive conversion rate of 23% and has created 4 big chances this term.
In comparison, Hudson-Odoi’s Sofascore stats show an 8% conversion rate and the fact he has created three big chances.
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Yilmaz vs. Hudson-Odoi league stats 2024/25 compared |
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|---|---|---|
|
Stat |
||
|
Goals and assists |
11 |
4 |
|
Conversion rate |
23% |
8% |
|
Big chances created |
4 |
3 |
|
Dribbles completed per game |
1.6 |
1.4 |
|
Duels won per game |
6.4 |
2.8 |
|
Stats from Sofascore |
||
Liverpool stalwart Virgil van Dijk is one player who has vouched publicly for Yilmaz’s ability. After facing him for the Netherlands at Euro 2024, Van Dijk explained he made it “difficult for every defender” in the Dutch side, showing just how talented the Turkish winger is.
At just £26m, Yilmaz might be the perfect upgrade for Hudson-Odoi. Whilst their creative numbers are similar and the Englishman is a hard worker off the ball, Yilmaz’s goalscoring threat would add an extra dynamic and could be a big difference-maker as they hope to get Champions League football.
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