Rising Star Odysseas Vlachodimos Ready to Conquer Premier League with Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest displayed remarkable restraint during the recent transfer window leading up to the summer of 2022. Despite an impressive feat of keeping Forest in the Premier League and successfully integrating 30 new signings in the previous season, Steve Cooper oversaw the recruitment of only three players for the 2023/24 campaign.

But once the season started, Forest - led by Evangelos Marinakis, their enigmatic owner - couldn't help themselves. The chequebook came back out.

Nottingham Forest

Burnley

Monday 18th September 6:30pm

Kick off 7:45pm

Three new signings arrived between the start of the season and Deadline Day - but Forest were far from finished.

In the final 24 hours of the window, the East Midlanders made headlines by signing seven players. The most notable acquisition was Ibrahim Sangare from PSV, which cost £30m. Following this frenzy, Marinakis addressed Forest supporters in an open letter, stating that their vision for the club is resolute and decisive. They are committed to revitalizing Nottingham Forest as a formidable presence in English football.

The signing of goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos from Benfica for £7.7m went unnoticed due to the overwhelming activity and optimistic statements made by the owner. However, a more detailed examination of the 29-year-old's career reveals that Nottingham Forest may have achieved a significant success, especially considering the hefty fees paid by Chelsea and Arsenal for other goalkeepers in the same transfer window.

Until the last few weeks of the transfer window, Vlachodimos' position as a vital player in Benfica's starting lineup appeared to be guaranteed. The Greek international made the move to the Portuguese club from Panathinaikos in 2018 and quickly solidified his role as their top goalkeeper. With a total of 225 appearances under his belt, he played a significant role in Benfica's triumph in the Portuguese league in both 2019 and 2023.

Vlachodimos has showcased his talent by playing the entire duration of Lisbon's journey to the Champions League quarter-finals in the last two seasons. Noteworthy victories against Barcelona, Ajax, and Juventus were achieved under his watchful eye.

Furthermore, the goalkeeper has also achieved success on the international stage. He was a valuable member of the German squad that triumphed in the U21 Euros in 2017 before deciding to represent Greece.

After signing a new contract with Benfica in March, Vlachodimos appeared poised to further advance his career at the Estadio da Luz. However, this advancement was suddenly halted when Benfica unexpectedly suffered a 3-2 defeat against Boavista on the opening weekend of the season. Coach Roger Schmidt publicly criticized his goalkeeper, bringing an abrupt end to his progress.

Vlachodimos, who had suffered defeats through a forceful close-range goal, a penalty, and a one-on-one situation, confronted Schmidt regarding his remarks, resulting in a swift deterioration of their relationship.

Following only one match of the recent season, Samuel Soares, a 21-year-old academy graduate, was appointed as Schmidt's primary goalkeeper, prompting Vlachodimos to seek a fresh opportunity at another club.

Although there were connections to Manchester United, Forest successfully finalized the agreement with Marinakis, the Greek shipping tycoon who also possesses Olympiacos. It is believed that the Greek No 1, who has always aspired to join the Premier League, was signed by Marinakis. However, it remains uncertain if Vlachodimos will be the first-choice goalkeeper for Forest. Similar to last season, when Cooper had the option of selecting between Keylor Navas and Dean Henderson at different times throughout the season, the manager has a significant amount of goalkeeping talent at his disposal.

Matt Turner arrived from Arsenal last month and has started all four of their Premier League games this season, including keeping a clean sheet in the 1-0 win at Chelsea.

Turner has faced a total of 7.7 expected goals on target (xGOT) in the four games but has only conceded six goals. This means he has conceded 1.7 goals less than expected. With Turner's form and Vlachodimos' arrival, Cooper must decide who to give the goalkeeper position to for the resumption of the Premier League after the international break, beginning with the match against Burnley on Monday, which will be broadcast live on We.

But it's a good headache for the manager to have as he looks to fulfil Marinakis' wish to return Forest to the top of the tree.