The academy of Nottingham Forest is one area of the football club that all fans believe is always thriving.
Ryan Yates signed a new contract yesterday, and he is the only academy player who is currently performing well in the senior team.
Forest has guaranteed that there is a coordinated approach to the academy and development ranks, with the B-squad training in the same site as the first squad in Spain.
The problem now that Forest are a Premier League team is to ensure that the next Ryan Yates is discovered by the coaches working behind the scenes.
Forest has made a fortune in sales by cashing in on academy graduates throughout the years, and this production line must continue at a steady rate.
With the season just weeks away, reports have surfaced of a major club attempting to sign one Forest academy graduate in recent years.
Zac Abbott was the subject of Manchester United bid.
This is very astonishing, with John Percy of The Telegraph reporting that the teenage defender elected to remain at the City Ground.
Abbott has trained with the first team on few occasions this preseason, and it appears that he is well regarded.
The 18-year-old is a centre-back who was a fixture in the B-Team throughout their successful season last year.
Abbott has made one appearance for the first team in the Carabao Cup, and it appears that his time will come.
It is alleged that United came knocking for his talents last year, but Abbott was determined to stay on Trentside and signed a professional contract.
Now, he’ll most likely play consistently for the B-Team this year, but a loan may be explored.
Abbott may have an impact at Forest in the near future.
With Felipe and Moussa Niakhate leaving the club, and Joe Worrall likely to be sold, Forest may require additional backup center defenders.
Forest signed Nikola Milenkovic this summer, but the only other defensive alternatives are Murillo, Willy Boly, and Andrew Omobamidele.
This might open up opportunities for Abbott, who has already demonstrated his versatility in a variety of positions.
At 18, he may not be quite ready for the Premier League yet, but he appears to be on the right track, especially if Manchester United are interested in him.
