Nottingham Forest legend Garry Birtles believes that Joao Carvalho has a point to prove to Sabri Lamouchi, as he continues to be linked with a move away from the City Ground.

It's been just over 18 months since Carvalho joined the Reds for a club-record fee of £13.2million from Benfica, but if recent reports are to be believed, it seems as though he could already be on his way out of the club.

With the January transfer window just around the corner, the Portuguese ace has been linked with a move to Greek giants Olympiacos and Turkish side Trabzonspor.

The 22-year-old has scored two goals in 16 appearances for Forest in all competitions so far this season and has played a role in the Reds' promising start to their Championship campaign under Lamouchi.

However, the attacking midfielder missed the start of the season for the Reds with an injury and as a result, he has only shown glimpses of his best quality and has found himself in and out of the starting line-up.

Forest legend Birtles believes that Carvalho has a point to prove to Lamouchi, if he wants to remain at the City Ground.

He told Nottinghamshire Live"What he has to do now is train as hard as he can and try to prove to Sabri Lamouchi he deserves a regular spot.

"He's not yet made himself a key man for Lamouchi and he wasn't for Martin O'Neill so he's got to do all he can to show what he can do.

"We know he's got a lot of talent. Fans love him when he's on form and it would be a shame to see his talent go unfilled at the City Ground."

Can you get 16 out of 16 on this Nottingham Forest quiz? Have a go now!

The Verdict

I couldn't agree more with Birtles here. Carvalho is a very talented footballer and when he's at his best, he's one of the most skilful and exciting players in the Championship - he just needs to be a bit more consistent.

If a club were to come in with a big offer for him in January, Forest would have a big decision to make, so he definitely has a point to prove to Lamouchi if he wants to remain at the City Ground.

He's got to do everything he can to convince his manager that he deserves to be one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.