According to Football Insider, Nottingham Forest have agreed a loan-to-buy deal with League One outfit Portsmouth for midfielder Ryan Yates. 

Pompey are top of League One currently, and look on course to earn promotion back to the Championship, and hope that the addition of Yates would seriously strengthen their title chances.

The 21-year-old has only featured once for The Reds this season, and that was a League Cup performance. He is clearly not a favourite under manager Aitor Karanka at the moment, particularly given the stacked midfield at The City Ground currently.

However, if Yates were to leave at the end of this loan, it is a worrying sign for Forest's long-term future. The club have already loaned out 19-year-old starlet Ben Brereton to Blackburn this season, with an option to buy as well. Should both Brereton and Yates leave Forest, they would have lost two of their biggest future prospects.

In addition to those two, 21-year-old Joe Worrall has been loaned to Scottish outfit Rangers. This loan is not, however, with an option to buy, but you cannot rule out that possibility.

This is a clear indication that Karanka is not putting enough emphasis on the youth at Forest, and is only looking for short-term success. Of course, many clubs loan young players, but the option to buy on a number of deals means that Forest could be dangerously depleted in the future. Players like Claudio Yacob may be playing well at the moment, but Forest will need young players for longevity, but seem to be severing themselves from their youth.