Brazilian central defender Morato has struggled for Nottingham Forest this season since stepping up into a more important role in the team.
The 24-year-old flop only started six of his 26 appearances in the Premier League in the 2024/25 campaign after joining from Benfica in the summer of 2024, which meant that he was rarely called upon as a starter.
However, the centre-back has started nine of his 13 appearances in the division so far this term, and made three errors that have led to shots or goals for the opposition already.
morato-nottingham-forest
The left-footed defender's errors have made him a liability at the back for the Tricky Trees, which is why he should not be starting as many games as he is at the moment.
20-year-old talent Jair Cunha is available as an alternative and could be used ahead of him to see if he will not make as many mistakes as his compatriot.
Why Nottingham Forest should replace Morato in the summer
When the summer transfer window opens for business, Nottingham Forest and Sean Dyche should move on from Morato and end his two-year stay at the City Ground, creating space for the club to bring in another centre-back.
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The Brazilian dud should be replaced because he has failed to prove that the quality is there for him to be a reliable Premier League central defender for Forest.
Since the start of the 2024/25 campaign, Morato has made five errors leading to shots or goals in 15 starts in trhe division, whilst also picking up a whopping nine yellow cards in his limited time on the pitch.
Morato (Premier League) 24/25 25/26
Appearances 26 13
Starts 6 9
Clean sheets 3 1
Ground duel success rate 54% 70%
Aerial duel success rate 30% 54%
Error led to shot 2 2
Error led to goal 0 1
Yellow cards 5 4
The former Benfica talent has been unreliable on the pitch, due to his errors, struggles with aerial battles, and regular bookings, which is why the club should replace him in the summer transfer window.
With the 24-year-old flop's struggles on the pitch for the Tricky Trees over the past 18 months, it is a shame that Forest once lost an excellent young defender at academy level.
Former Nottingham Forest star is now an upgrade on Morato
Last season's Forest had an elite defensive unit built upon the likes of Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo. While there are still part of that backline, it's a very different regime now and given the performance against Leeds last weekend, which saw Morato struggle, upgrades are required.
Nottingham Forest's Igor Jesus celebrates scoring their first goal with Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic
Well, speaking of upgrades, Forest sold one seven years now. That happens to be defender Anel Ahmedhodzic, who joined Malmo in January 2019 when the Reds were still in the Championship, for an undisclosed fee after he spent three years with the club's academy system.
That turned out to be a mistake because the Bosnia international has since gone on to impress at Malmo, Sheffield United, and, now, Feyenoord.
Sheffield United's Anel Ahmedhodzic
Upon moving to Malmo, Ahmedhodzic was valued at a mere £87k by Transfermarkt but as a result of some eye-catching displays, it has soared in the subsequent years.
Now playing for Feyenoord in the Eredivisie after a spell with Sheffield United, the Sweden-born defender is valued at roughly £14m by Transfermarkt, showcasing how much his stock has risen.
While Forest have two superb central defenders in Milenkovic and Murillo, it's hard to suggest that Ahmedhodzic wouldn't be a seismic upgrade on Morato.
Indeed, his performances in the Eredivisie this season demonstrate precisely why that is the case.
25/26 league season Ahmedhodzic Morato
Appearances 21 13
Clean sheets 5 1
Tackles + interceptions per game 2.4 2.2
Duels won per game 4.2 3.5
Clearances per game 5.1 3.9
Aerial duel success rate 61% 54%
Error led to shot or goal 1 3
The Bosnia international has made fewer errors and been more dominant in his aerial duels in eight more appearances at league level in the 2025/26 campaign so far.
Ahmedhodzic has been a reliable performer for Feyenoord in the Netherlands, starting all 21 of his Eredivisie games, whilst he has also won 62% of his duels and not made any errors in seven starts in the Europa League.
ahmedhodzic-feyenoord-nottingham-forest
His form for the Dutch side domestically and in Europe suggests that he would be the big upgrade on the error-prone Morato that Dyche currently needs, but he could be an expensive signing given his market value in comparison to Engels.
That is why Forest must regret their decision to part ways with Ahmedhodzic before he had the chance to prove himself as a first-team regular.
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