Two weeks ago Harkes came out of Forest s match against West Ham in the 67th minute not because he was playing poorly, but because of a calf injury. Because of the injury he did not play against either Chelsea or last Saturday against Charlton. In his place Atkinson started young Frenchman Mathieu Louis-Jean. Let s say the young man has not had a stellar Premiership debut. Clouding the situation even more is the announcement this week that midfielder Steve Stone, possibly Forest s best player, will move on if the club is relegated.
Several clubs are reportedly interested and willing to pay the price.
If Stone is dealt then Forest will need experienced hands even more. Which brings us to the topic of Sunil Gulati. Forest was ready to take Harkes long-term on a free transfer. But Gulati said no. He was strongly of the opinion that players under contract to MLS should not be given away if the League is to gain credibility as a seller of talent.