Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito is confident that Super Eagles defender Ola Aina will extend his stay at the City Ground, Soccernet.football reports.
Aina’s current contract is due to expire in the summer, with Forest set to trigger the automatic one-year extension included in the contract. Meanwhile, negotiations regarding a new deal for the 28-year-old Nigerian have been ongoing.
Aina joined Nottingham Forest from Torino in the summer of 2023 and the Nigeria international has gone on to establish himself as one of the most important players at City Ground.
This season, Aina has played a significant role for Nuno’s charges as they continue to punch above their weight in the Premier League. He has started in all 24 of Forest’s PL matches so far, registering two goals and one assist.
As a result of his impressive performances this season, the defender’s contract situation has understandably become a hot topic of conversation in the media.
Quizzed on whether there will be positive news regarding Aina’s contract situation, Nuno responded: “I think so. Things are going well. I am positive and confident everything is going to be solved,” as quoted by Yahoo Sports.
Nuno’s squad rotation in the FA Cup game against Exeter City on Tuesday almost proved costly as Forest needed a penalty shootout to guarantee their place in the next round. Aina was one of the notable absences as well as other first team players.
Questions were raised regarding Nottingham Forest’s squad depth ahead of their trip to Craven Cottage where they will face Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday but Nuno remained calm, insisting he has nothing to worry about.
“I don’t have to think about things when they don’t happen. When things happen, then we have to find solutions,” he said.
“That is what is important for us regarding the depth of our squad – we have solutions. It will be better if we maintain everyone healthy and available, because I think we can compete in both competitions until the end of the season.
“But we don’t operate on ‘ifs’. The reality is I think we have a balanced and good squad.”
