Nottingham Forest boss Sabri Lamouchi has said he expects more players to sign new deals at the club in the near future.
Nigel Doughty Academy graduates Ryan Yates and Matty Cash have both put pen to paper on fresh terms until 2023 in recent days, as the Reds look to secure the futures of their young stars.
Cash was linked with Premier League Everton last month, while defender Joe Worrall was said to have caught the eye of Arsenal ahead of the January transfer window.
But with Forest aiming to reach the top-flight themselves, Lamouchi says it is vital to hang on to their brightest prospects.
“I am very happy. Well done to the club,” he said of the news Yates has joined his fellow midfielder in agreeing a new long-term contract.
“Last week it was Cashy, this week, Ryan. We hope to continue like this with good news next week, next month, because we have a lot of good young players.”
Asked if that means more deals will follow, he said: “Yes, because this is the project for the club - to keep the best young players and to build a project.
“The dream for the fans is to go up, and the dream for the club is to make this dream come true.”
Yates only returned to action in October, following surgery to correct a long-standing knee problem in the summer.
The 22-year-old has featured just four times for Lamouchi, being sent off in the 0-0 draw at Bristol City last month, incurring a three-match suspension - the last of which will be for tomorrow’s game at Millwall.
He was red carded for a two-footed tackle on Adam Nagy, but Lamouchi says he has learnt from his error of judgement.
“He is a nice guy, very professional, very positive and a clever guy. And he is an interesting player,” the Frenchman said.
“He is a very interesting player.
“He is young, but smart. He wants to learn. And I think he learnt from his last game - that red card - because it is a problem for me now, to find the right line-up what with injuries and suspensions.
“But he is very positive; positive in the dressing room and positive on the team.
“He likes the club.”
