According to a report from TEAMtalk, Championship high-flyers Nottingham Forest are closing in on a deal for young French attacking midfielder Ilyas El Khabchi, who has been on trial with the club recently.
It has been claimed by TEAMtalk that after his departure from French fifth-tier side Jura Dolois, young midfielder Ilyas El Khabchi has been on trial with Championship side Nottingham Forest. The 21-year-old came to England to “try his luck” and now, Forest are poised to bring him in on a short-term deal.
Nottingham Forest are keen for El Khabchi to sign a deal with the club to ensure that he is not snapped up on the cheap by any other clubs. It is said that the deal will keep him at the club until the end of the season and he will link up with Forest’s Under-23s side – currently managed by Jimmy Gilligan – allowing him to prove himself in the second-string side and push for a place in Sabri Lamouchi’s first-team plans.
Playing for Jura Dolois, El Khabchi scored 13 goals from the middle of the park in 35 appearances for the club.
Given Nottingham Forest’s strong start to the season, it would be surprising to see the midfielder break into Lamouchi’s first-team in the immediate future.
The midfield department at the City Ground is a strong one and young talents such as Brennan Johnson already give a view to the next generation of young players at the club, so it will be interesting to see if El Khabchi can also make his mark on the club should he make the move.
