Nottingham Forest City Ground stadium

A club-record signing is always going to stir up fan expectations – where can he lead the club to? Have they overpaid? Mohamed Hassan reflects on the impact of Nottingham Forest’s own Jekyll and Hyde.

Joao Carvalho arrived at the City Ground from Benfica for a club-record fee £13 million in June 2018, but his time at the club has split the fans.

Since then, he has gone on to make 75 appearance in all competitions scoring eight goals for the Reds.

After spending last season on loan with Almeria in Spain, the 24-year-old has joined Greek Side Olympiacos permanently, for an undisclosed fee.

The feeling about Carvalho amongst the fans is that he is a talented player, but it just didn’t work out for either parties.

He posted a tribute to Nottingham Forest fans on his Instagram, stating: “Today I want to thank you all Nottingham Forest Supporters for the continuous support through the past 3 and half years.”

“A few years with ups and downs, a lot of personal growth and hard work with always having you by my side.

“I will always remember your kind words, magical songs and the atmosphere at the stadium.

“It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to play for this historical club, a club that will always support me.”

A mixture of injuries and inconsistent performances prevented the midfielder from becoming a success at the city ground.

Many fans have wished him well on social media especially twitter thankful for the memories that he has created.

I don’t think anyone has ever doubted Joao Carvalho’s talent, but after 3 years of trying to replicate 6 months of fantastic form, I think we all know that his departure is for the greater good.