Forest’s Young Striker Turning Heads at Wycombe: What the Early Returns Tell Us

Nottingham Forest’s recently acquired forward Donnell McNeilly is quickly earning the tag of “someone they’re talking about,” after a series of promising performances since his move to Wycombe Wanderers. The 19-year-old, signed from Chelsea and immediately loaned to Wycombe for the 2025/26 season, has already sparked genuine excitement among fans and coaching staff alike.

From Chelsea Academy to Forest → Wycombe Wanderers

McNeilly arrives at Forest on a multi-year deal, leaving Chelsea after a standout youth career. In the 2024-25 campaign, he scored 32 goals in 39 appearances for Chelsea’s U-18s plus 16 goals in 28 games for their U-21s / PL2 sides. The Tricky Trees secured his signature and immediately arranged a loan to Wycombe, aiming to offer him first-team exposure at a competitive senior level.

What the Club & Observers Say

Wycombe’s director of football strategy, Tom Stockwell, has praised McNeilly’s all-round skillset. He says McNeilly is “strong in his frame to link back to goal,” technically adept around the penalty box, with pace and power to threaten both in channels and behind defences. Stockwell committed to the view that McNeilly “has a very complete game.”

Earlier in the season McNeilly also paid tribute to a fellow loanee, Tottenham’s George Abbott, after an assist from Abbott led to one of McNeilly’s goals in the EFL Cup vs Wigan. Reflecting on that, he spoke about movement and being ready, saying: “stay patient … make double movements … eventually I knew George was going to pick me out.”

Early Statistics & Form

Since joining Wycombe, McNeilly has played a handful of senior matches and showed flashes of his goal-scoring pedigree. In the 2025/26 campaign, his minutes are still limited, but he has already recorded goals in cup competitions and is working to make the same kind of impact he did at youth level. His performances have drawn good ratings (for example Sofascore gave him a 7.6 in one of his outings against Barnsley) indicative of his potential.

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Other Forest Loan Prospects Also Getting Noticed

While McNeilly is commanding much of the spotlight, Nottingham Forest have other loan players also turning heads.

Dale Taylor at Wigan Athletic has been praised by manager Shaun Maloney for his work-rate. Taylor is described as an “amazing striker” who contributes generously to the team’s goals tally and regularly makes a difference.

Jamie McDonnell, on loan at Colchester United, has been called “one of the best defensive midfielders in League Two” by ex-EFL star Adrian Clarke. His consistency and importance in midfield have endeared him to both fans and