Carlos Forbs

Carlos Forbs
Carlos Forbs with Ajax in 2024
Personal information
Full name Carlos Roberto Forbs Borges
Date of birth (2004-03-19) 19 March 2004 (age 20)
Place of birth Sintra, Portugal
Height 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
Wolverhampton Wanderers
(on loan from Ajax)
Number 26
Youth career
2011–2014 NADCC Sintra
2014–2015 Sporting CP
2015–2023 Manchester City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023– Ajax 22 (2)
2024 Jong Ajax 2 (1)
2024–Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan) 3 (0)
International career
2020 Portugal U16 3 (1)
2022 Portugal U18 3 (1)
2022–2023 Portugal U19 16 (2)
2023– Portugal U21 3 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Portugal
UEFA European Under-19 Championship
Runner-up 2023 Malta
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 August 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:38, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

Carlos Roberto Forbs Borges (born 19 March 2004) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a winger for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, on loan from Eredivisie club Ajax.

Club career

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Early career

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Born in Sintra, Lisboa Region, Forbs started playing football there, before enjoying a season-short spell at Sporting CP in the capital. He moved to England at the age of around 11, where he attended high-school at the Cooperative Academy of Leeds, but soon caught the eye of many Premier League scouts, joining the Manchester City academy in 2015.[1][2][3]

In Manchester, he progressed through all of the youth categories, becoming a regular provider of goals and assists with the under-18 and under-23 teams, as City won both national tournaments between 2020 and 2022.[1][2][4][5] He was named under-18 player of the season for Manchester City in May 2021.[6]

By the end of 2021, he made his Youth League debut, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 away pool win against RB Leipzig.[7]

He made headlines in September 2022, as he scored a hat-trick and delivered an assist during Manchester City's opening game of the Youth League, a 5–1 away win against Sevilla.[1][3][7][8] He also proved to be instrumental a month later, with a goal and an assist in the 3–1 win at Copenhagen.[9] In the 2022–23 season, he scored 25 goals and provided 13 assists in all competitions for Manchester City U21.[10]

Ajax

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On 3 August 2023, Forbs signed for Eredivisie club AFC Ajax on a five-year contract in a €14 million deal, which could rise to €19 million with variables.[11][12] Nine days later, he made his professional debut for the Amsterdam side, coming off the bench to replace Brian Brobbey in the final minutes of a 4–1 home victory over Heracles Almelo, in the 2023–24 Eredivisie's opening game-week.[13] Ten days later, in the next league match, away to Excelsior, Forbs started and assisted Brobbey's opener, before being replaced by Davy Klaassen in the 60th minute; the game ended in a 2–2 draw.[14] On 24 August, he made his debut in European competitions, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 4–1 win away at Ludogorets Razgrad, in the UEFA Europa League play-off round.[15] On 21 September, in an Europa League group stage match at home to Marseille, Forbs scored his first professional goal and also provided an assist; the game ended in a 3–3 draw.[16]

Wolverhampton Wanderers

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On 30 August 2024, Forbs returned to England and joined Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers on an initial season-long loan.[17]

International career

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Born in Portugal, Forbs is of Bissau-Guinean descent.[18] He is a youth international for Portugal. By 2022, he became a regular starter with the Portuguese under-19s.[3][19]

On 8 September 2023, Forbs made his debut for Portugal's under-21s, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 3–0 home win over Andorra, in a qualifier for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.[20]

Personal life

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Formerly known as Carlos Borges, the player has opted to play using his mother's surname as Carlos Forbs since he joined Ajax in August 2023.[21]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 22 August 2024[22]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Manchester City U21 2022–23 3[b] 4 3 4
Ajax 2023–24 Eredivisie 21 2 1 0 10[c] 1 32 3
2024–25 Eredivisie 1 0 0 0 5[d] 0 6 0
Total 22 2 1 0 15 1 38 4
Jong Ajax 2023–24 Eerste Divisie 2 1 2 1
Career total 24 3 1 0 15 1 3 4 43 8
  1. ^ Includes KNVB Cup
  2. ^ Appearances in EFL Trophy
  3. ^ Eight appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League, two appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
  4. ^ Apperanaces in UEFA Europa League

International

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As of 10 December 2023
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Portugal 2024 0 0
Total 0 0

Honours

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Individual

  • UEFA European Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2023[23]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Guerra, Francisco (7 September 2022). "Carlos Borges, a nova coqueluche do Manchester City". Record (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  2. ^ a b Brennan, Stuart (1 February 2022). "Man City have another Portuguese star in the making". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  3. ^ a b c ""Hat-trick" do português Carlos Borges pelo Manchester City na Youth League - Renascença". Rádio Renascença (in European Portuguese). 6 September 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  4. ^ Bajkowski, Simon (19 May 2022). "Man City exciting winger Carlos Borges is out to make up for lost time". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  5. ^ Smith, Jonathan (6 July 2022). "Palmer, Kayky, Delap and the Man City wonderkids who could follow in Foden's footsteps". Goal. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  6. ^ "Manchester City fans laud 'insane' Carlos Borges after U-18 award". The Boot Room. 1 June 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  7. ^ a b Lawless, Josh (6 September 2022). "18-year-old Manchester City prospect Carlos Borges is a serious talent, his stats are crazy". SPORTbible. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  8. ^ "A nova pérola portuguesa no Man. City: Carlos Borges deu show em Sevilha". Notícias ao Minuto (in Portuguese). 6 September 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  9. ^ Brotherton, Alex (11 October 2022). "Carlos Borges sends Pep Guardiola message in Man City EDS Youth League win". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  10. ^ "Carlos Borges, la perla lusa que espera la llamada de Guardiola" (in Spanish). BeSoccer. 7 July 2023.
  11. ^ "Ajax sign Carlos Roberto Forbs Borges". AFC Ajax. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  12. ^ "Man City forward Borges joins Ajax in £17.3m deal". BBC Sport. 3 August 2023.
  13. ^ "Ajax 4 - 1 Heracles Almelo: Nyförvärven levererade direkt" [Ajax 4 - 1 Heracles Almelo: The new signings delivered straight away]. SvenskaFans.com (in Swedish). 12 August 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  14. ^ "Com Francisco Conceição de fora, Carlos Borges assiste mas Ajax tropeça" [With Francisco Conceição out, Carlos Borges assists but Ajax stumbles]. Notícias ao Minuto (in European Portuguese). 19 August 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  15. ^ "Ludogorets vs Ajax". beIN SPORTS. 24 August 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  16. ^ "'Show' do português Carlos Borges no empate entre Ajax e Marseille" [Portuguese Carlos Borges 'show' in draw between Ajax and Marseille]. Notícias ao Minuto (in European Portuguese). 21 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  17. ^ "Forbs deal concludes transfer window". Wolverhampton Wanderers. 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  18. ^ "Carlos Borges | Laufbahn | Spielerprofil". kicker.
  19. ^ Silva, Flávio Miguel (16 September 2022). "Sporting domina escolhas de Joaquim Milheiro". Record (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  20. ^ "Tarde de estreias e números especiais" [Afternoon of debuts and special numbers] (in European Portuguese). FPF. 8 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  21. ^ "Ajax complete signing of Portuguese forward Carlos Forbs from Manchester City".
  22. ^ Carlos Forbs at Soccerway
  23. ^ "2023 Under-19 EURO Team of the Tournament". UEFA.
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