The League Paper

Why it all went wrong for classy Carvalho

by
The Football League Paper Team
4 October 2020

Chris Dunlavy

JOAO Carvalho was supposed to be Nottingham Forest’s answer to Ruben Neves when he was signed from Benfica for £13.5m in 2018.
A different type of player, yes. A rung below in terms of class. But still an elite technician whose ability would elevate a humdrum Championship side into title contention. He was, after all, a man the Reds could never have signed without Jorge Mendes, the Portuguese superagent and friend of Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis whose influence over Benfica saw Carvalho’s €50m release clause vanish like mist on the Trent.
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