Super Eagles defender Ola Aina has put paid to any uncertainty about his future by penning a three-year contract extension at Nottingham Forest.
The Chelsea Academy product has been influential in the club’s consolidation in the Premier League, and starred as Forest secured European football last season. He made 35 appearances in the league last term, scoring twice and assisting another for Nuno Espirito Santo’s men. “He epitomises the culture and hard work we expect from everyone associated with Forest,” club owner Evangelos Marinakis said.
With reports linking him with a move elsewhere, however, why has Aina instead opted to sign on until 2028?
Much-needed stability for a man of many loans
For a player who has spent much of his career on various loans, the importance of putting down roots cannot be overstated.
Home. 🫶 pic.twitter.com/UtUyv9p3V2
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) July 7, 2025
Chelsea, Hull City, Torino and Fulham have all borne witness to Aina’s talent, but none have been able to provide him with an actual home. Now 28 and close to the end of his physical prime, being situated is more important than ever, even more so than uprooting himself and fighting for a starting spot elsewhere.
Aina's calculated gamble on Forest’s upward mobility
The 2024/25 campaign was an unprecedented one for Nottingham Forest.
While it may have ended in disappointment, a finish in the European places is not to be sniffed at. With an owner who is personally invested in the project, a competent manager and an improving calibre of recruitment, the trend for the club appears to be upward.
Which Ola are you? 😅 pic.twitter.com/BLdaA82GpQ
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) July 7, 2025
It is a gamble, but a calculated one.
