Nottingham Forest have confirmed the signing of Beninese midfield prospect Cherif Baba Yaya, completing a deal that marks a significant leap forward in the 18-year-old’s budding career.
The Premier League club, which finished seventh in the English top flight last season, secured the highly rated teenager on July 7, 2025, after being impressed by his rapid rise in recent months.
Baba Yaya, who was previously on loan at Portuguese side Rio Ave, arrives from Benin’s Union Sportive de Sèmè-Kraké, where he had initially begun to draw international attention.
Having joined Rio Ave only in April, Baba Yaya’s swift progression and evident promise sparked Forest’s interest, prompting the club’s leadership to move decisively to secure his signature during the current transfer window.
Craig Mulholland, Nottingham Forest’s head of football development and talent management, expressed high hopes for the new arrival.
Cherif is a very interesting talent… We are looking forward to having him in our squad, he said, reflecting the excitement surrounding the midfielder’s potential and what he could bring to the club.
While it remains uncertain whether Baba Yaya will be immediately integrated into Forest’s senior team or begin his tenure with the youth setup, his arrival is already being seen as a powerful endorsement of Benin’s growing football infrastructure.
His transfer represents one of the most high-profile moves for a player from the West African nation in recent memory.
Beyond the individual story of a young footballer taking the next step, the deal also signals a broader development for Beninese football.
The move could inspire a new generation of homegrown talents by demonstrating that a pathway exists from local academies to Europe’s elite leagues.
Baba Yaya’s signing adds to Nottingham Forest’s recent strategy of investing in promising young players from lesser-known markets, aiming to develop future stars within a competitive and structured environment.
As the new season approaches, attention will now turn to how quickly the Beninese teenager can adapt to English football.
Whether he starts in the academy or earns an early shot with the first team, all eyes will be on Baba Yaya’s development at the City Ground in what could prove a defining chapter for both player and country.
