Debate has been reignited among Nottingham Forest fans over the next steps for Joao Carvalho.
With the midfielder’s loan spell at Almeria having come to a disappointing end by missing out on promotion, he is set to return to the City Ground.
Local newspaper Diario de Almeria suggest the Spanish second division side are unlikely to take up a purchase option on the Portuguese, leaving his future uncertain.
If that does prove to be the case, or other offers do not materialise, he will be back for pre-season training with the Reds.
That will give boss Chris Hughton the opportunity to carry out his own assessment.
But whether Carvalho should be given another chance at Forest continues to divide opinion among supporters.
Here’s a look at what has been said.
ScaryTerry: It’s do or die for his career next season. I believe he would thrive in the Premier League but to get there he’s got to show he’s got the stomach for a good season in the Championship and a cold winter night in Barnsley. I’d get him in for pre-season and get some confidence into the kid then see how he goes.
GeeKayH: Absolutely, most talented midfielder on the books.
MoseleyRed: It needs a certain kind of manager to get the best out of him. Martin O'Neill was managing to do that before he was let go.
RattonRed: Far too inconsistent. But who will want him?
Joebaker: Someone with CH experience should be able to get him fitting in. He has class but not everything to be a top class championship.... yet, we live in hope.
Bockerboy: Strikes me as a confidence player. Have we got room for one of those in our thread bare squad? Probably not. Still he should be given a chance under CH. At least for now.
Simplethings121: Forest have a lot of good average players, what they’ve lacked is players that can unlock defences. Players with vision and potential.. and luckily enough, have one that they don’t have to spend another fortune for.. CH... Meet JC.
Tunstalk: Until we have a team that are good enough to walk into the top 6 then I do not see any place for him. We would be playing with 10 men each game and hoping he turned up for 10 mins. I don’t think he was ever able to hack the physicality of the Championship, he was shut out of games too easily.
Altheboss2018: What’s all this nonsense. He’s our player and was sorely missed in last season’s debacle. He would be my first name on the team sheet!
ScarletHound: He’s got talent, but doesn’t do enough with it. You don’t pay that much for a player just to see a few flashes of skill.
Carvalho had been in the starting XI for the first leg of Almeria’s play-off semi-final against Girona last week.
He was hauled off at half-time, however, as head coach Rubi rang the changes with his team already 2-0 down.
They went on to lose 3-0, giving them a mountain to climb for the second leg, on home turf, over the weekend.
Rubi’s response was to name a much-changed line-up on Saturday, in a bid to overhaul that considerable deficit.
Carvalho was one of the casualties, finding himself on the bench, and he failed to get on the pitch as a goalless draw proved not enough for Almeria.
The 24-year-old made 32 appearances in the league in Spain, 13 of those as a substitute, and was unable to find the back of the net.
