Serie A side Bologna sold Dan Ndoye to Nottingham Forest last summer and would have no regrets about how things have turned out.
The winger notched up a goal and an assist in the entire Premier League season, with both coming in his first two appearances. After that, things fell flat – for the player and the Tricky Trees. As a result, attention around him has gone down, despite the money Nottingham Forest spent on the attacker.
There have been suggestions that he can depart the City Ground in the summer too. A return to Italy is said to be on the cards but the World Cup can change that.
Ndoye has been a star for Switzerland
Even if his club form has been up and down, Ndoye has always been key for the Swiss. At the European Championships in 2024, he sparkled and really made a mark at the highest level. This escalated his name at the global stage and helped him really grow into a much more mature player in the 2024/25 campaign.
In 30 games for the national team, the winger has seven goals. In the World Cup qualifiers, he scored twice and assisted three times, even when things weren’t great for Nottingham Forest. Even against Jordan in a recent friendly, the ex-Rossoblu star delivered and notched up a goal in a 4-1 win.
That is exactly what he needs at the tournament.
Nottingham Forest will only benefit from that too. They could yet keep him in the squad or move him on and a good World Cup will help them in either ambition.
After all, the 25-year-old has proven himself at a European stage at Bologna. Under Vincenzo Italiano, he played across the attack, showcasing his versatility, also doing quite well at centre-forward.
In a tournament where tactics sometimes go out of the window, risk-takers like him really come to the fore. Ndoye now has to take the chance with both hands.
Kaustubh Pandey I GIFN
