Ola Aina Breaks Silence On Arsenal Links, Reveals Bold Target For New Season

According to Ireporter Online, the 29-year-old defender made the comment after a Nigerian fan asked him at Wimbledon if he would consider joining Arsenal.

Responding with a smile, Aina said he was “too old for Arsenal,” appearing to brush aside the transfer speculation surrounding his future.

The Nigerian international has been a Nottingham Forest player since joining the club from Italian side Torino in 2023. Before his move to England’s East Midlands, he developed through Chelsea’s academy and also spent the 2020/21 season on loan at Fulham.

Despite dismissing talk of a potential Arsenal move, Aina has revealed his personal ambition ahead of the 2026/27 season, setting himself a target of scoring at least five goals.

The versatile defender, who began his football journey as an attacking player before transitioning into a defensive role, failed to score during the previous campaign but registered an assist in Forest’s UEFA Europa League clash against Fenerbahce.

Reflecting on his goal drought, Aina admitted he is determined to improve his attacking contributions in the coming season.

“I need to pray and fast because I did not score any goals last season. The season before, I think I got three goal involvements,” he said.

The Super Eagles star added that he hopes to achieve a five-goal milestone and would be satisfied if he reaches that target.

Aina enjoyed a strong 2024/25 Premier League campaign, scoring two goals and providing an assist in 35 league appearances, performances that reportedly attracted interest from Manchester City during the January 2025 transfer window.

The defender will now focus on helping Nottingham Forest achieve their targets while aiming to make a bigger impact in front of goal during the new season.