Givairo Read: Nottingham Forest handed painful reminder after bids rejected
Nottingham Forest have been handed a brutal reminder of what could have been amid Givairo Read's electric form this season.
The Tricky Trees failed with multiple bids for the Feyenoord talent, who ultimately stayed put in the Netherlands after Roma also pulled out of a potential deal.
The Dutch side were looking for a fee in excess of £26million for the right-back - a price tag that has appeared less and less unreasonable as the days have gone by.
Read has provided four assists in his last two games in the Eredivisie, and looks to be on the verge of receiving his first senior call up for the Netherlands.
Nottingham Forest ultimately spent more than £22m to sign Daniel Munoz from Crystal Palace, with Oliver Glasner happy to be reunited with his former player.
But there is undoubtedly a sense that a trick has been missed in the case of Read, who could well find his way to the Premier League via a different route next summer.
Givairo Read in fine form for Feyenoord
Playing under former Arsenal defender and Rangers manager, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Read has taken another step forward.
The right-back has become an incredibly dangerous tool for Feyenoord, providing constant overlapping runs and brilliant delivery on a regular basis.
The last two games have seen him and his team explode into life, destroying PEC Zwolle 7-0, before dispatching Utrecht 5-0.
Read was excellent in both games, with his devastating ability to go forward on the right wing with ridiculous pace clear for all to see.
Already this season, the Netherlands youth international is creating 0.79 big chances per game - more than any other defender in Eredivisie.
Read is also completing 1.26 successful dribbles per game and is enjoying 4.73 touches in the opposition box, more than many attackers.
And there is defensive form, too. The right-back averages 2.68 tackles, 1.10 interceptions and 3.78 recoveries per game.
Read was perfect for Oliver Glasner
Ultimately, Munoz was the wing-back that Glasner knew better than any other, and the one he wanted.
And the 30-year-old has been far from poor so far this season, despite Nottingham Forest's struggles to adapt to their new manager.
But on paper, Read was surely the better option. While the 20-year-old is not proven in the Premier League, he has all the physical attributes to excel and could well be a future superstar.
It remains to be seen whether Nottingham Forest live to regret their hesitancy to pay the asking price for the youngster, who will be snapped up if he can maintain such strong form.