Nottingham Forest could land £26million Hudson-Odoi this month

Nottingham Forest are in dreamland. The East Midlands club are halfway through Champions League qualification and certainly appear to be in with a good chance of reaching the competition and playing among Europe’s elite again for the first time in decades.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s they are foreign currently third in the Premier Leagueand ahead of them are only Arsenal and Liverpool. They are four points inside the top four, which also includes Newcastle United, and are certainly in a good position to qualify for the Champions League this term.

Defensively, they were fantastic, conceding only 20 goals and Arsenal being the only team to concede fewer goals with 19. Their attack was also deadly this period, s Callum Hudson-Odoi part of that attacking force.

Hudson-Odoi’s 2024/25 season so far

It was incredible profitable season so far for strikers wearing that famous Garibaldi red shirt. Chris Wood was on fire with 13 goals, and winger Anthony Elanga scored and assisted eight times.

Hudson-Odoi may have underperformed in terms of his goals and assists compared to his attacking teammates. The former Chelsea star scored twice and provided two goals for his teammates in 19 Premier League games.

However, he showed how good he can be in a Forest shirt He played 55 games for them until now. The England international has ten goals and four assists for the East Midlands club so far, including a famous strike away to Premier League leaders Liverpool earlier this season in a 1-0 win.

There have certainly been some impressive moments from Hudson-Odoi this term, although he has undoubtedly left a little to be desired, and Nuno’s side could perhaps benefit from more attacking output, despite his incredibly hard work.

So perhaps it’s no surprise that the East Midlands side have been linked with another winger this January.

Forest could agree to Hudson-Odoi dream upgrade

The player in question here is Galatasaray winger Baris Alper Yilmaz. According to a report by Turkish news outlet Fanatik, via Sport Witness, earlier this weekthe East Midlands side were ‘looking at the Turkish international’ and could make a move for him in the January transfer window.

Further reports indicated interest from a number of Premier League clubs, with fee of around €30m (£26m) after it was proposed.

The 24-year-old has been in sensational form for the Turkish giants this term, which could mean he is set to move away from the club this January.

He scored 11 goals in all competitions in 27 gamesincluding 10 goals in 18 games in the Turkish Premier League. He scored both goals in Galatasaray’s 2-1 win against Istanbul Basaksehir last weekend.

One thing the 24-year-old Galatasaray player will add to Forest’s attack is versatility. In this term, he played nine games as a right winger and eight games as a left winger, sometimes also playing as a full-back. That will be great flexibility for Nuno to rely on.

When looking at the statistical comparisons between Hudson-Odoi and Yilmaz, there are clear differences that extend beyond goals and assists, perhaps further evidence that a move from Forest could be a smart one.

The Turkish star’s clinical and creative nature really shines when you look at his statistics on Sofascore. He has an impressive conversion rate of 23% and has created 4 big chances in this period.

For comparison, Hudson-Odoi’s Sofascore statistics they show an 8% conversion rate and the fact that he created three great opportunities.

Liverpool stalwart Virgil van Dijk is one player who has publicly vouched for Yilmaz’s abilities. After facing him for the Netherlands at Euro 2024. explained Van Dijk he made it “difficult for every defender” in the Dutch side, showing how talented the Turkish winger is.

At just £26m, Yilmaz could be the perfect upgrade for Hudson-Odoi. While their creative numbers are similar and the Englishman is a hard worker on the ball, Yilmaz’s scoring threat would add an extra dynamism and could be the big difference as they hope to clinch the Champions League.