By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Nottingham Forest have confirmed that Nigerian international Ola Aina has signed a new contract that will keep him at the City Ground until 2028, ending speculation about a potential summer exit.
Aina, 27, played a key role in Forest’s 2024/25 Premier League campaign, starting 35 of the club’s 38 league matches.
His performances have now been rewarded with a long-term extension as the club looks to build on its recent progress.
“I’m over the moon. I can’t wait to continue this journey with the club,” Aina said.
“It’s always felt like home ever since I joined, and I’m happy to be here. Now my focus is on preparing well for the new season and getting back to hard work.”
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis praised Aina’s contributions, saying: “Ola has skill, determination, and character in abundance.
He epitomises the culture and hard work we expect from everyone associated with Forest. He has had a big influence since his arrival and we look forward to continuing that journey together to achieve incredible things.”
Aina joined Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2023 from Serie A side Torino. Since his arrival, he has made 59 appearances across all competitions for the Reds.
With a career that includes over 100 appearances in Italy’s top flight, the versatile full-back brings a wealth of top-level experience. He is also closing in on a personal milestone, standing just nine matches away from reaching 100 Premier League appearances.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
