Taiwo Awoniyi’s goals could keep Nottingham Forest in the Premier League

30/06/22 1210

Last month, Nottingham Forest ended their 23-year absence from the Premier League with a 1-0 victory over Huddersfield Town in the Championship play-off final.

Steve Cooper masterminded a miraculous turnaround at the City Ground, taking the club from the bottom of the second tier to the top flight in a matter of months.

Forest had numerous heroes last season, with players such as Brennan Johnson, Keinan Davis and Sam Surridge shining in attack throughout the campaign.

Still, it was clear that Forest would need reinforcements. Getting out of the Championship is one thing, but surviving in the Premier League is a completely different proposition altogether.

As a consequence, Cooper wasted no time in strengthening his squad – brining in Union Berlin forward Taiwo Awoniyi for a club record fee of £17 million.

So, who is Taiwo Awoniyi? Why did Forest break their transfer record to sign him? And could his goals keep the club in the Premier League?

Awoniyi is a 24-year-old Nigerian forward with four senior international caps to his name, having represented his country at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations.

The 6ft striker burst onto the scene back in 2013, scoring four goals en route to lifting the FIFA U17 World Cup trophy with the Super Eagles.

Subsequently, Liverpool signed Awoniyi in 2015. But due to complications surrounding his work permit in the UK, he was sent out on seven loan spells between 2015 and 2021.

The last of his loan spells saw him join Bundesliga side Union Berlin. After impressing during the 2021-22 season, Union made his deal permanent – paying £6.5m to acquire his services.

Last season, Awoniyi took his game to another level. He bagged 20 goals and five assists in 43 games across all competitions, lighting up the Bundesliga and the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Awoniyi’s 15 Bundesliga goals in 31 appearances saw him finish sixth in the 2021-22 scoring charts, behind some of the highest-profile forwards in European football.

Only Robert Lewandowski, Patrik Schick, Erling Haaland, Christopher Nkunku and Anthony Modest netted more Bundesliga goals last term.

Awoniyi boasts the perfect blend of pace, power, physicality and awareness. He is also an adept finisher, meaning he can score goals from all areas.

Despite having one of the smallest budgets in Germany’s top tier, Union Berlin finished fifth last season – thanks largely to the goals of Awoniyi.

Of course, the Premier League is a big step-up from the Bundesliga. But if Awoniyi’s recent exploits are anything to go by, he could play a key role in steering Forest clear of relegation trouble.