Nottingham Forest are having a fantastic campaign under Steve Cooper.

The Reds boss has them within touching distance of automatic promotion after their win versus Fulham in mid-week, with the gap to AFC Bournemouth down to just three points with three left to play.

One big part of Cooper's success has been getting the best out of young players at the club permanently or on loan, such as Djed Spence, James Garner, and Brennan Johnson.

With that in mind, here, we've picked out two young players at Nottingham Forest that boss Steve Cooper could perhaps lean on more next season.

Loic Mbe Soh

One player that Steve Cooper could certainly lean on more next season, particularly if the Reds remain in the Championship, is centre-back Loic Mbe Soh.

Mbe Soh joined the Reds after leaving Paris Saint-Germain in 2020, however, so far he has failed to force his way into the first XI.

In the Championship this season, the French youth international has made just two appearances and this can surely be built upon next season if Forest remain in the second-tier.

He will be 21-years-old when next season arrives, and whilst he may not be ready to be a regular starter yet, he could certainly capable of playing 15-20 games a season in a supporting role to the starting defenders.

 

 

Fin Back

Again, another player that Nottingham Forest could perhaps lean on more next season if they remain in the Championship and extend his stay at the club is Fin Back.

With Djed Spence set to return to Middlesbrough after his loan spell this summer, there is a vacancy to fill on the right hand side at the City Ground and although we don't think Back will be a starter next season, he could certainly contribute there more than he has done this campaign.

At 19-years-old he still has plenty to learn, but he has featured five times for Forest this campaign.

Similar to Mbe Soh, Back could be a player that plays somewhere between 10-15 matches next season and fills in due to injuries or the gruelling schedule of the Championship.

Playing in the Premier League would be a big ask at this stage, but if Forest aren't promoted, Back could become more of a first team option next season.