Nuno Espírito Santo will be excited about the potential of incoming players at Nottingham Forest, but one of his top-performing stars could still leave in the summer.
Most notably, Morgan Gibbs-White has been linked with Man City as the brilliance of Forest’s season attracts attention from those higher up the football food chain.
City are extremely keen on Gibbs-White having seemingly walked away from interest in Florian Wirtz, leaving Evangelos Marinakis braced for a fight to keep his midfield talisman.
It’s not just Gibbs-White, though, as Forest face a battle with a European giant to keep hold of one of Espírito Santo’s top stars.
Photo by Jon Hobley | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Jon Hobley | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Besiktas are interested in Nottingham Forest’s Ola Aina
Ola Aina’s contract has caused Forest fans plenty of stress this season, but concerns were eased when Forest triggered an extension in Aina’s contract.
However, according to Turkish site, Fotospor, Besiktas will attempt to lure Aina away from the City Ground should a longer-term solution to the right-back’s contract not be found.
The report said: “Negotiations are ongoing between the parties [Forest and Aina] for a new contract. It was learned that Besiktas is following the player’s situation. If Ola Aina does not stay in his team, an official offer will be made.”
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Back in January, it was reported that Besiktas’ Turkish rivals Galatasaray would make a bid for Aina as clubs across the continent search for bargain deals.
However, as the report suggested, Forest still hope to tie Aina down to a more secure deal, as Marinakis refuses to settle for the triggered extension.
Nottingham Forest remain in talks with Ola Aina over a new deal
In what has been a drawn-out saga, Aina’s future at the club remains uncertain despite the player making it clear that he wishes to stay at the club.
As far back as February, Aina shared his desire to remain at Forest on Sky Sports, yet we remain unclear as to his future beyond next season.
Recent reports claimed that Forest have had a deal on the table for Aina for months, which only serves to add to the confusion in what, by all accounts, should be a simple deal to conclude.
The only explanations seem to be that there is either no deal, the deal is nowhere close to Aina’s demands, or the Nigerian international isn’t as invested in the club as he seems.
Whichever it is, until this contract is sorted one way or another, clubs like Besiktas will only continue to sniff around for a bargain deal.