Joe Worrall believes that Joao Carvalho could be a 'massive' player for Nottingham Forest ahead of his return to the club this summer.

The Portuguese attacking midfielder, who joined the Reds in a club-record deal for around £13m from Benfica in 2018, is currently playing on loan for Almeria in the Spanish second division.

Whilst the team are pushing for promotion to La Liga, Carvalho isn't a regular starter and has failed to score in 26 games this season, although he has registered three assists.

So, with the deal up in the summer, he is expected to return to the East Midlands for pre-season and with Chris Hughton now in charge at the City Ground, things could be different for the playmaker.

And, speaking to a Forest fan as part of the club's community work, Worrall made it clear just how much he rates the 24-year-old as he looked ahead to next season.

“It will be interesting, because obviously we’ve got Carvalho, he’s got to come back from his loan and he’s somebody who could be massive for Forest in the future.”

Carvalho's contract with Forest doesn't expire until 2023.

The verdict

This is high praise from Worrall and it shows that Carvalho obviously made an impact on his teammates at Forest, even if he divided opinion among the fans.

He's certainly someone that Hughton should look at, as he could be the man to get the Portuguese youth international firing in England.

So, it will be interesting to see what happens to Carvalho in what is going to be a very busy and important summer for Forest.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.