Eyebrows were raised when Club Brugge signed Carlos Forbs this summer. The young Portuguese winger had had a pretty torrid 2024/2025 season, spending the season on loan with Premier League side Wolves. Forbs only made 11 appearances for the side, failing to score or provide an assist. Ajax were more than happy to sell the winger this summer, with Club Brugge getting a cut price deal for Forbs. Fast forward a few months and Forbs has been a big positive for the Belgian side this season. Last night against Monaco his pace and direct running caused the Ligue 1 side all sorts of problems as he continuously got in behind the backline. Forbs looks confident and like he is enjoying a new lease of life in Brugge.
The numbers may not jump off the page, with one goal and two assists in nine games, but Forbs has been passing the eye test. In Champions League qualification he really came into his own, with Club not having had a player with his electric pace for some time. Alongside a technician like Hans Vanaken, Forbs is enjoying creating one on one situations against full backs, where he can use his dribbling and express pace to devastating effect. Against Monaco he created four chances, one resulting in a goal. In Europe this will be an effective way for Club Brugge to release pressure against sides that will dominate the ball. Yet, even against Monaco, Club dominated the ball and Forbs was still a major factor.
So far, Forbs performances for Club Brugge in Europe are a gentle reminder to us football fans of how important finding the right club for a player can be. Wolves clearly wasnโt a great fit for Forbs, but in Club Brugge he appears to have found a situation where he can thrive. At 21-years-old, there is plenty of time left for the Portuguese winger to improve his game.
GBeNeFNย |ย Ben Jackson
