Two starts, four goals conceded: Forest should be pleased they didn’t sign reported target

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Nottingham Forest spent heavily on their squad during the summer, with boss Aitor Karanka tasked with mounting a serious challenge on reaching the Premier League.

The Reds managed to land several of their first choice targets, but one man who did slip through the net was right-back Fabio, who opted to join Ligue 1 side Nantes instead of reunite with Karanka who he played under at Middlesbrough.

The early season form suggests that Forest have not ended up too badly, with the former Manchester United man playing just twice so far after struggling to shake off a thigh injury sustained in pre-season.

According to a report in the Nottingham Post back in June, the 28-year-old was firmly on Karanka’s list of targets but nothing came to fruition and Forest sought other players instead.

After 12 games of the current campaign it looks like a blessing in disguise that Forest missed out on the Brazilian, especially given the quality that Karanka has managed to recruit at right-back.

Sam Byram signed on a season-long loan from West Ham United and looked decent before a cruel injury ruled him out long-term, whilst Saidy Janko has proved to be an astute piece of business since his arrival on loan from Porto. Throw into the mix Tendayi Darikwa, who has on occasions this season highlighted his potential, then it is clear to see that Forest did not really need Fabio.

When a manager receives a substantial amount of money to spend it is important that he spends it wisely and when it came to choosing which right-back to sign, Karanka seems to have got this one spot on.