With just one win in their first six league games, Nottingham Forest are not off to the best of starts to the current Championship campaign. They made a few decent signings in the summer, but Aitor Karanka has not been able to get the best out of the options at his disposal. So it does not come as a surprise that he is still desperate for some additions to the squad and one player he continues to be linked with is Bakary Sako. According to the reports, West Brom and Forest are both interested in the free agent.
Having made up to 16 signings in the summer, Karanka is expected to fight for a place in the playoffs this season. But the less than impressive start to the campaign will force the manager’s hand once again. And Sako could be a valuable addition to the squad at City Ground.
Born and brought up in France, Sako plays for the Mali national team, where he has racked up nine goals in just 21 outings. He moved to England for the first time with Wolves in 2012 and made 118 league appearances at Molineux, before joining Crystal Palace in 2015. He failed to cement his place in the first team in any of the three seasons at Selhurst Park and was given just four starts in the last campaign.
Palace decides not to extend his stay in London, and Sako turned into a free agent, looking for his next adventure. At 30, he is an experienced striker, who knows his way in the final third. He is an excellent dribbler and is often hard to mark for center-backs inside their box. If given space close to the goal the former Palace forward can test goalkeepers consistently while his ability to set up chances for his side from wide areas makes him that much more dangerous than a conventional forward.
He is also effective over a dead-ball but is often criticized for the lack of energy on the field. He rarely puts in the hard yards and often waits for proper service. So Karanka has to make sure that he can play to Sako’s strengths if he wants to add him to his squad.
Daryl Murphy and Hillel Soudani have both scored two goals apiece already this season. Lewis Grabban is the other option in that role, but the former Bournemouth man has just an assist to his name so far, leaving Karanka with not many goals coming from the bench.
Sako has the qualities to change that and as a free agent, well worth the risk. But he might not be game changer till he settles into the new system and at his age, is also not a long-term option. So unless really necessary, this is a signing Forest should avoid.
