Nottingham Forest and Nigeria defender Ola Aina has laughed off suggestions that he could join Arsenal, insisting he is “too old” for a move to the North London club.
Ola Aina, 29, made the light-hearted remark in a video that surfaced on Tuesday after a Nigerian fan working at Wimbledon asked whether he would consider signing for the Gunners.
“I’m too old for Arsenal,” Aina replied with a smile.
The Super Eagles star has been with Nottingham Forest since arriving from Italian side Torino in the summer of 2023. He previously spent the 2020/21 season on loan at Fulham after coming through Chelsea’s academy.
While brushing aside talk of an Arsenal switch, Aina has already set a personal target for the 2026/27 campaign.
The versatile full-back wants to score at least five goals after finishing last season without finding the net.
Aina, who started his career as a right winger before moving into defence, featured 28 times in all competitions for Forest during the 2025/26 season. Although he failed to score, he contributed an assist in Forest’s 2-1 UEFA Europa League defeat to Fenerbahce.
“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,” Aina said.
“I need to do some serious prayer and fasting because I need at least five. If I get five, I will be content.”
The Nigerian international had previously attracted interest from Manchester City during the January 2025 transfer window after an impressive 2024/25 Premier League campaign, when he scored twice and provided one assist in 35 league appearances.
