Nottingham Forest has officially confirmed that Nigerian internationals Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi will remain with the club for the upcoming 2025-2026 season. The announcement, part of the club’s released retained list on Monday, signals Forest’s commitment to the Super Eagles duo amidst a broader squad overhaul.
The decision to keep Aina and Awoniyi comes as the club sees other changes, including the departure of defender Harry Toffolo and the return of Alex Moreno to Aston Villa following his loan spell.
Ola Aina, who joined Forest on a free transfer from Torino in July 2023, proved to be a standout performer under manager Nuno Espírito Santo during the last campaign. The 27-year-old full-back featured in all 35 Premier League matches, logging over 3,000 minutes on the pitch. His versatility, consistency, two crucial goals, and one assist, coupled with his contribution to 11 clean sheets, earned him widespread praise as one of the league’s top full-backs. Forest had already activated a one-year extension clause in Aina’s contract in May, underscoring their satisfaction with his impact. His goals against Brentford and West Ham were particularly vital as Forest secured a UEFA Conference League berth despite a turbulent season.
In contrast, striker Taiwo Awoniyi faced a challenging year. The 26-year-old forward was limited to just 893 minutes of Premier League action due to a dip in form and a serious abdominal injury sustained in May during a clash with Leicester City. The incident necessitated emergency surgery and briefly placed him in an induced coma, though he has since regained consciousness and is reportedly recovering well.
Awoniyi managed only one goal during the campaign, leading to speculation about his future at the City Ground, especially with reports linking Forest to new attacking options like Brazilian forward Igor Jesus. Despite the uncertainty surrounding his fitness and recent output, the club has chosen to retain the Nigerian striker, who originally joined from Union Berlin in 2022 for a club-record £17 million. His decisive goals in the 2022-2023 season were instrumental in keeping Forest in the Premier League, though injuries and inconsistency have hampered his impact in the two seasons since, bringing his total goals to eight.
In other squad news, Nottingham Forest has offered a new contract to experienced centre-back Willy Boly, while discussions are ongoing regarding the future of veteran goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.
