He saved Nottingham Forest from relegation then left for £15m - look where he is now | OneFootball

Britt Assombalonga saved Nottingham Forest from relegation then left for Middlesbrough for £15m but look where he is now in the National League...

Britt Assombalonga became a Nottingham Forest hero before earning a club-record move to Middlesbrough, but his career has taken a remarkable turn since leaving the Championship.

In 2026, Britt Assombalonga remains one of the highest-scoring players in Championship history since the competition's modern inception in 2004, having built his reputation as one of the division's most dangerous forwards. Only 24 players have scored more league goals than his total of 77.

His career has taken him from Peterborough United to Nottingham Forest, as well as Middlesbrough and beyond, with injuries and changes of scenery shaping his journey. Now aged 33, his latest move has taken him a long way from the Championship spotlight.

Nottingham Forest broke their transfer record for Britt Assombalonga

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Nottingham Forest knew they were getting a serious goalscorer when they smashed their then club transfer record to sign Assombalonga from Peterborough United in 2014. Per the BBC, the Reds reportedly paid around £5.5 million for the 21-year-old after he had produced an extraordinary 33-goal campaign at London Road.

There was understandably enormous expectation on his shoulders, but Assombalonga quickly demonstrated why Forest had been prepared to make such a significant investment. He scored 30 league goals for the club across his three seasons, despite his progress being severely interrupted by a devastating knee injury.

That injury kept him out for a significant period and threatened to derail his momentum, but Assombalonga returned to become an important figure for Forest once again. His goals made him one of the Championship's most feared strikers, and he ultimately left the City Ground having established himself as one of the division's best forwards of his era.

Middlesbrough paid around £15m to sign Assombalonga from Forest

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Three years after Forest had broken their own transfer record to sign Assombalonga, Middlesbrough did exactly the same thing. According to the BBC, Boro paid around £15 million to bring the striker to the Riverside Stadium in 2017, making him the club's record signing at the time.

His final Forest campaign had ended in particularly dramatic fashion. With the club fighting to avoid relegation, Assombalonga scored twice against Ipswich Town on the final day of the season. Forest's 3-0 victory proved enough to keep them in the Championship on goal difference, meaning the striker left the club having quite literally helped save them from dropping into League One.

At the time, Middlesbrough represented another major step in his career, although things never quite reached the same level as his best spell at Forest.

He remained a productive Championship striker, but Boro eventually sold him after three seasons, beginning a period of his career that would take him away from English football's second tier.

Where Assombalonga ended up spending his later years as a footballer

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Assombalonga subsequently moved to Turkey, where he played for Adana Demirspor and eventually Antalyaspor and Amedspor, before returning to England with Watford and Barnet in between. His spell at Vicarage Road was eventually followed by a move to Barnet, giving him the opportunity to continue his career in the EFL.

However, his latest move represents another significant change. In July 2026, Assombalonga joined Harborough Town, dropping into the National League North at the age of 33. The club has only just gained promotion by winning the Southern League Premier Division Central.

It is a remarkable destination for a player who was once the subject of £15 million transfer business from Nottingham Forest to Boro and one of the Championship's most prolific strikers. Assombalonga's career has included numerous Championship goals, a club-record transfer fee, international football with DR Congo, and some unforgettable moments in English football.

From scoring 33 goals for Peterborough, to becoming Forest's record signing, saving the Reds from relegation and earning Middlesbrough's record transfer, Assombalonga has experienced some extraordinary highs.