According to a report from Spanish outlet Fichajes, Liverpool have identified Nottingham Forest’s Ola Aina as a priority target for the summer transfer window. The Reds are willing to square up against rivals Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Tottenham to secure the services of the services of the Nigerian full-back.
Aina was a part of the Chelsea youth setup back in the day. While things did not work out for the player in the English top flight back in the day, he has certainly established himself as one of the best full-backs in England since joining Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2023.
The 28-year-old has only gone from strength to strength in the last two years. Aina has been one of the standout performers for them this season as they push for a UEFA Champions League spot. Ola Aina has featured in a total of 30 league games and has even contributed towards three goals.
While the Nigerian international prefers playing as a right-back, he can feature in a more attacking position as well as reprising those roles on the opposite flank. With his contract running out at the end of the season, multiple top clubs in the country are after his signature.
Chelsea are one of the clubs that are interested in signing the experienced full-back. They want to bring Ola Aina back to the club and could use their past relationship to lure him to Stamford Bridge. His arrival could add much-needed experience to their squad.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in the 28-year-old. Both clubs have been closely monitoring the progress of the London-born wide man and consider this too good an opportunity to miss out on.
While all three clubs are pushing for his signature, Liverpool are ready to battle them as they have identified Aina as an ideal replacement for the in-demand Trent Alexander-Arnold. The English international could end up joining Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer.
Liverpool officials believe it is only a matter of time before his departure as a free agent becomes certain. As a result, they have been working on bringing in a potential replacement for Alexander-Arnold.
While Conor Bradley has done a good job and could be a great long-term replacement, they want more experience and defensive solidity, something that Ola Aina could provide. Since all three rival clubs have an equally attractive project, Liverpool surely has their work cut out in this transfer saga.
