This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Nottingham Forest are set to offer a contract to former Brentford midfielder Emiliano Marcondes following his release from the Bees, according to Football Insider.

The 26-year-old, who scored in the 2-0 play-off final victory at Wembley against Swansea City two weeks ago, was let go by Brentford after three-and-a-half years at the club.

Marcondes' first couple of years at the Bees was affected by injuries and personal issues, but on a personal level the most recent 2020-21 campaign was his best yet, as he made 40 appearances in all competitions, scoring three times.

The Danish midfielder will be a wanted man having been a key part of Brentford's promotion-winning squad, but would he be a good fit for Forest? We asked the FLW team for their thoughts.

Alfie Burns

This would be excellent business.

Firstly, it’s worth pointing out that Emiliano would have been well worth a shot in the Premier League with Brentford, so he’s going to be a good addition for someone to pick up in the Championship.

In terms of Forest’s interest, he would be a great signing.

Hughton needs someone to come in and provide the link between the midfield and the attack, which Emiliano would certainly do.

He’s got great technical ability and showed in the play-offs how much he can influence things in the penalty area.

Despite the fact he’s 26, I feel that Wembley performance will be the making of him in the Championship. It was him realising he can have an impact at this level and really influence the big games.

The possibility of him doing that week-on-week for Forest really whets the appetite.

 

 

Chris Gallagher

I think this would be a fantastic addition. Forest are lacking a quality attacking midfielder and it's been something of a problem position for Chris Hughton, who used several players in that role last season. So, they need to strengthen that area and Marcondes would appear to be the ideal fit. He knows the league, can score goals, pick passes and is available on a free transfer. There's not many negatives to this at all! You could argue that Marcondes wasn't consistent enough for Brentford, but he wasn't always a guaranteed starter, and if Hughton trusts him and gives him a regular place in the XI, he could become a key player for the Reds. The obvious issue is the interest from Barnsley but the project at Forest should appeal to Marcondes and it's a deal they should look to wrap up ASAP.

Ben Wignall

If Filip Krovinovic isn't an option to get back for Chris Hughton, then Emiliano on a free would be very good business.

Krovinovic for what it's worth didn't exactly set the City Ground alight in his loan spell but he showed what he could really do for West Brom in the Championship so if they were able to sort another move out for him he may shine.

But Marcondes is proven in the Championship, even if he isn't really from a goalscoring perspective.

He's been a trusted member of the Brentford squad for the past couple of seasons though and his importance to the team was shown in the play-off final when he netted against Swansea.

Marcondes has never been the focal point of a Brentford side though - at Forest he could play in the number 10 role and be that key player to link the midfield and the attack.

I think the 26-year-old would flourish in that particular role and he would represent a great signing for Hughton and the Tricky Trees.