After a stellar performance in the just concluded 2024/25 Premier League season with Nottingham Forest, Ola Aina was heavily touted to jump the ship with Manchester City, leading other top European clubs, waiting to cash in. However, the eggheads of the Tricky Trees have been quick to activate the one-year extension in the Super Eagles defender’s contract and he is now expected to remain at the City Ground until the end of the 2025/26 season

In spite of performing a shake-up of the squad, the management of Nottingham Forest on Monday confirmed that Nigeria international, Ola Aina will remain at the club next season, following the release of the team’s retained list.

Forest are desperate to tie the Nigerian to a long-term contract but are yet to achieve that objective, and have instead decided to trigger the one-year contract extension in order to keep him at the club for the 2025/26 season.

Aina, who joined Forest in July 2023 on a free transfer from Torino, enjoyed a standout season under Nuno Espírito Santo.

The versatile full-back featured in 35 Premier League matches, starting every game and accumulating over 3,000 minutes of action.

His three goals contributions-scored two and assisted one, and 11 clean sheets, are reasons for him to be rated as one of the best full backs in the Premier League and severally being linked with Manchester City, as a replacement to England international, Kyle Walker.

His goals in key wins against Brentford and West Ham helped Forest navigate an impressive season in which the Tricky Trees secured a UEFA Conference League slot after spending most part of the campaign in Champions League position.

Interestingly, Aina’s boyhood club, Chelsea, have reportedly entered the race to re-sign the Super Eagles defender as he nears his contract expiration in Nottingham Forest.

The impressive performance of the 28-year-old right-back has piqued the interest of several Premier League clubs, particularly Manchester City, who are seeking to bolster their defensive options this summer.

The Stamford Bridge outfit is looking to bring Aina back to his boyhood club nearly six years after his departure.

According to TBR Football, Chelsea have been closely scouting the 28-year-old in recent weeks and are now keen on signing the Nigerian defender.

Aina’s professional journey began at Chelsea, where he progressed through the youth academy after joining as an under-11.

He made his first team debut in a pre-season friendly against AFC Wimbledon in 2014, but the Nigerian international would not forget in a hurry how he was embarrassed at Chelsea while growing in his football career.

Aina indeed revealed that former Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte is the toughest coach he has worked under in his football career, saying the Italian’s intense training sessions and tactical demands left a lasting impression on him.

“Conte was the toughest,” Aina said. “The training under him was extremely hard. I was younger at the time and maybe that made it even more difficult for me.”

Aina was part of Conte’s squad during the 2016/2017 season, before moving to Italy to join Torino, a move he described as a learning curve.

“For me, going to Italy was a good learning curve. Obviously, they’re known for being defensive and housing tactical players, so I sort of improved on that side of the game and I can see that in myself now when I play.

It was also good to get out of my comfort zone, and Italy was a place I’d always wanted to see and visit on holidays. So, going there to live was good as well,” the Nottingham Forest full-back said in an interview with the Counter Attack Podcast.

Aina’s contract with Torino expired in the summer of 2023 and he returned to England to sign for Nottingham Forest.

Earlier before Forest activated Aina’s one year extension, former Fenerbahce and Super Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo, had backed a potential move for the Nottingham Forest defender to Manchester City, with the former Olympique Marseille defender noting that such a transfer would benefit both the player and Nigerian football.

Speaking to Africafoot, Yobo hailed Aina as one of the best right-backs in the Premier League in the just concluded season and suggested that a move to Pep Guardiola’s side would not be surprising.

“Aina is currently one of the top three right-backs in the Premier League, and joining Manchester City wouldn’t surprise me at all,” Yobo said. “It would be a masterstroke for both the player and Manchester City. He’s an imposing defender but also an excellent attacker, something Guardiola looks for in his full-backs.”

Yobo had emphasised that working under Pep Guardiola could further elevate Aina’s game, considering the Spanish coach’s track record of improving defenders.

“Aina would also improve his game by working with the best coach in the world,” the former Everton defender added.

“To be honest, this would only be good news for Nigeria. The only downside to this move is that Nottingham Forest would lose a key asset for free. It’s a surprise they let him stay until the end of his contract,” he had noted.