Nottingham Forest ‘edging closer’ to agreeing Ola Aina deal

Nottingham Forest are edging closer to an agreement after holding talks with Ola Aina over a new contract extension at the City Ground.

That is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that the club are desperate to tie the wing-back down to a new deal.

This comes after Football Insider revealed on 31 December that Forest are confident of agreeing a new contract with the 28-year-old amid interest from Man City.

As things stand, Aina’s contract is set to expire at the end of the current season and he would be allowed to leave on a free come July should no agreement be reached.

His contract situation has inspired interest from the likes of City, who have identified the full-back as a potential replacement for Kyle Walker, and foreign clubs including AS Roma.

However, he remains a crucial part of Nuno Espirito Santo’s side and Brown has insisted both parties are keen to reach an agreement to extend his stay.

Aina has started all 20 of Forest’s league games so far this season and is playing some of the best football of his career, helping them rise to third place in the Premier League.

Nottingham Forest ‘desperate’ to agree Ola Aina contract

Brown told Football Insider on 8 January that Forest are pushing to agree terms over a new contract with Chris Wood, whose deal is also set to expire in the summer.

Now, the former scout who has a wealth of experience working closely with top players including over a decade with Man United during their most successful period, insisted that he expects an agreement to be reached with Aina in due course.

“They’re desperate to get him tied down,” he told Football Insider.

“I’d expect those talks to progress quickly, and I think they’ll be edging closer to that agreement.