Nottingham Forest confirmed the signing of former Alaves centre-back Rodrigo Ely last Thursday. 

Despite the transfer window slamming shut two days prior, Ely joined the Championship club as a free agent, following the expiration of his contract with the La Liga outfit.

The 27-year-old, who spent four years with the Spanish club, made 85 appearances during that time, since his move from AC Milan.

Progressing through the academy at Gremio in his native Brazil, Ely joined the Italian giants as a teenager, but he was unable to pave a way into the first team set up with I Rossoneri.

Ely now finds himself embarking on a new challenge in the English Midlands. Getting himself familiarised with his local surroundings, Ely took to Twitter to post a photo next to his two children at Nottingham's Wollaton Park, with the caption: "🏰 Nottingham 👌"

Signing at a good time, with the international break giving him some time to adjust to life in a new country, Ely will be hoping to gain regular first-team minutes at The City Ground.

The verdict

The signing of Ely is an impressive one. He has been operating at top-tier level for quite some time, adding plenty of competition.

It is fair to say that Forest do have strong defensive options as it is, but adding a player with the experience that Ely possesses will only be a boost.

Forest's start to the season has been a poor one, but they possess a squad full of talent who will be using this international break to fully get up to speed, whilst integrating the likes of Ely, Djed Spence, Max Lowe, and the other recent signings into Hughton's line of thinking.