Ola Aina participates in the Premier League match between West Ham United and Nottingham Forest at the London Stadium.[Photo Credit/ Imago].
Nottingham Forest will be playing in the UEFA Europa League this season after a brilliant domestic campaign last term, although they could have secured a Champions League spot but for a dip in form towards the end, Soccernet.ng reports.
There have been a few changes in the squad over the summer. The Reds have tied Morgan Gibbs-White and Ola Aina to new deals.
They’ve also sold Anthony Elanga to Newcastle United and have brought in Dan Ndoye, Igor Jesus and Jair Cunha as they look to build strength in depth ahead of what could be a long season, but Nuno Espirito’s side are not done.
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As per French outlet, Footmercato, Nottingham Forest are admirers of Manchester City youngster Rico Lewis and have submitted a bid worth around £25m, including £4.3m in performance-related add-ons, which has been rejected.
The 20-year-old already has five caps for England and can play in midfield and as a full-back. Lewis is also in contract talks with Pep Guardiola’s side over a new deal.
On the flip side, the 2023 UEFA Champions League winners are interested in bringing Newcastle United defender Tino Livramento to the Etihad Stadium.
The arrival of the ex-Chelsea full-back could see first-team opportunities at Manchester City reduce for Lewis, who wants minutes under his belt in a bid to make Thomas Tuchel’s England team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
What Lewis’ bid means for Ola Aina
The Super Eagles full-back played 35 games for Nottingham Forest, missing just three games due to a calf injury, which shows his importance at the City Ground.
Forest also parted ways with Harry Toffolo at the end of last season. Should Lewis decide to join the two-time UEFA Champions League winners, it’ll mean a competition for spaces on the right side for Ola Aina.
However, Aina’s versatility means he can feature as a left-back from time to time. Additionally, Forest will play several games, considering they’ll want to go deep in the UEFA Europa League, and squad depth is an added advantage.
Ultimately, Forest’s thin squad caused them to be jaded towards the end of last season, and they’ll want to avoid such mistakes in the coming season.
Adefolahan Guerreiro
Adefolahan is a multilingual journalist and writer at Soccernet Nigeria.
With a track record of involvement in College sports, Adefolahan is focused on crafting engaging football content and utilising his language skills and extensive sports knowledge to enhance content accessibility for a global audience.
He has interviewed Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.