Forest's interest in Lewis cools

Nottingham Forest are having second thoughts about signing Rico Lewis from City this summer, despite the 21-year-old being on their radar since last year. The Blues are keen to cash in on the versatile defender, but doubts are now creeping in at the City Ground about whether he would improve their current squad.

Lewis dropped out of Pep Guardiola's starting XI plans last season, and Forest's recruitment team have been tracking him for a while. Encouraged by City's willingness to sell, they may yet make a formal move — but question marks over his ability and position could see them walk away.

Concerns about adaptability

Those doubts centre on how Lewis's talents would adapt to a different style of play. He is calm and assured in possession, reads the game well, but struggles out of possession and lacks the pace or physicality to impose himself.

Former Manchester United assistant manager Mick Brown questioned to Football Insider whether Lewis is the right fit for Oliver Glasner's system at Forest.

'Rico Lewis sums up what I've said for a long time about Man City's academy,' Brown told Football Insider. 'The players grow up and develop playing a certain way, it works through the academy ranks and into the first-team at Man City, where they stay in a certain style. But watch some of them when they move away from Man City, and they struggle to adapt to systems which are different to what they've learned.'

Brown added: 'I think Lewis will be one of those types of players, because he's good on the ball and in possession, but he's not dominant physically and doesn't have great pace. There's also a bit of uncertainty about his best position. Is he a right-back, a left-back, a central midfielder, does he play out wide? He can do all of that, but I'm not convinced they know where he's best, especially outside of Man City where he's not going to be allowed to do what he does there.'

'So for Nottingham Forest or any other club interested in signing him, I expect they will be having second thoughts, because it's not as simple as saying "he's a good player, let's sign him". Especially with Oliver Glasner coming in, they have to question where Lewis would fit into his system, because I wouldn't say he's particularly well-suited to it.'

Academy graduates struggle elsewhere

Forest's concerns are nothing new. They have seen similar issues first-hand with James McAtee, who has struggled to make his mark after leaving the Etihad for the City Ground. As Brown explained in March, City's academy players are all taught to play a certain way in possession, which works at City but often fails to translate when they move to a different system. Numerous players have struggled to adapt after leaving the Etihad.

Whether Lewis becomes the next case study, or proves the doubters wrong, remains to be seen. For now, Forest are hesitating.