Ola Aina reacts to confirmed Nottingham Forest exit: ‘Gonna miss you’
Ola Aina has penned an emotional message on social media after Nottingham Forest confirmed the a popular departure.
Aina was a key man for Forest in their quest to qualify for European competition last season, with two goals and one assist in 35 Premier League appearances.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side tailed off from competing for the Champions League places to eventually finish in seventh after a final day loss to Chelsea, meaning they will participate in the Conference League next term.
Forest are set for a busy summer window with numerous incomings and outgoings expected, and former Everton chief Keith Wyness recently revealed to Football Insider that Nuno and owner Evangelos Marinakis will need to agree on selling some key men in the coming months to stay in line with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Former Chelsea youngster Aina, meanwhile, recently saw his contract extended at the club by another year to cover next season, but has previously been targeted by Manchester City as a potential Kyle Walker replacement [The Sun].
Ola Aina issues goodbye message to Harry Toffolo
Aina’s strong 2024/25 form will have surely seen him attract attention from numerous top teams across Europe, but Forest worked to secure his future at the club for another year recently, so a move away seems unlikely this summer.
The East Midlands outfit are set to say goodbye to a few first-team players soon, though, and Aina moved to react to their announcement that popular defender Harry Toffolo will be leaving the club upon the expiry of his contract on 30 June on Instagram, writing: “Gonna miss you Toff” with crying and heart emojis to reaffirm his emotion at the 29-year-old’s exit.
Toffolo has been with Forest since a 2022 move from Huddersfield Town, and despite mostly being a back-up for league games over the years, he has clearly left his mark on the club with star playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White also reacting to his departure in a similar way on social media.
Toffolo move is the first of many for Forest this summer
Football Insider verdict
Forest’s rapid climb to the upper echelons of the top-flight last season was unprecedented by those at the club and neutrals alike, and their success is set to trigger a busy summer window which will certainly not end at the release of Toffolo.
The 29-year-old was likely expected to depart upon the expiry of his contract, though, after making just four league appearances in 2024/25, and some more high-profile moves are set to be on the horizon for the Tricky Trees soon.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 57 | 1 | 4 |
Forest are believed to be closing in on signing three players from Brazilian club Botafogo, with Igor Jesus, Cuiabano, and Jair Cunha set to join Forest for a combined fee of almost £30million, so it is clear that they are planning for a big window to bolster their squad ahead of their Conference League venture.
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson recently told Football Insider that the Trentside club should make a move for Manchester City starlet James McAtee, but that would likely mean an exit for key man Gibbs-White, who has been linked with a move to Arsenal by Football Insider’s Mick Brown following an impressive campaign at the heart of Forest’s success.