Dilane Bakwa

Key strength: Pace and dribbling

Wide creator

Nottingham Forest's €28 million gamble on French winger Dilane Bakwa has become one of the Premier League's most intriguing personnel puzzles. Sitting 17th after a DLDWW run that shows flickers of survival hope, Nuno Espírito Santo's side possesses an asset they're barely utilizing—despite the 23-year-old's undeniable pedigree. Bakwa's numbers tell a story of opportunity denied: 1 goal and 4 assists from 22 appearances sounds modest until you realize he's averaging just 40 minutes per outing. With 889 total minutes this campaign, Forest's most expensive wide player has become a bit-part figure in their relegation scrap. Yet those who watch closely see what Nuno is missing. With vision and passing metrics (77-rated) that suggest cerebral link-up play rather than pure speed, Bakwa offers stylistic variety—an intelligent creator who complements the direct pace of teammates like Callum Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi. Remarkably, he's navigated the Premier League's physicality without a single card, a testament to his composure. As Forest fight to establish daylight above the drop zone, the question intensifies: will Nuno finally trust his €28m investment with sustained minutes? In Bakwa, they have precisely the creative weapon needed to unlock stubborn defenses—if only they dare unleash it.