Head coach of high flying English Premier League (EPL) side Nottingham Forest Nuno Espirito Santo has dampen the hopes of Nigeria international defender Ola Aina getting a dream move to league champions Manchester City, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Aina will be out of contract in the summer and it has led to rumours of a possible move to the league champions, who are rebuilding the squad and have already announced that their undisputed starter at right back Kyle Walker will be leaving the club before the end of the January transfer window.
The Nigeria international has been one of the standout players this season in that role in the English Premier League, and it’s no surprise that he has been named among the likely targets of Pep Guardiola going into the summer rebuild.
However any potential move won’t be straightforward with Forest having the option of extending his deal for another year by triggering a clause in his contract, beyond that coach Nuno Espirito Santo also feels he has special qualities that his team needs to maintain their rise.
“He has been good. Very good. Last season was difficult for him, because he was distracted by a few physical issues. He still finished last season really well and this season he has been doing fantastically well for the team,” said Nuno when asked about Aina in his pre-match press conference ahead of yesterday’s game against Liverpool. “His performance levels are fantastic.”
“That (his ability to carry the ball out of defence) is one of the characteristics we like. But defensively he is also very solid,” added Nuno.
“He is a fantastic character,” Nuno said. “We have a good group of players — a very good group of people and characters. They enjoy being together and working together. Ola is very much one of those.”
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
