It’s hard to believe that Aina didn’t cost Forest a penny. He’d spent the last few years with Torino in Serie A but opted to join the Reds after not penning a new deal at the end of last season.
Aina has appeared in five of Forest’s six Premier League games this season. He’s looked composed in every appearance, both at left and right back.
On Saturday, the Nigeria international performed something truly incredible. It undoubtedly surprised Kyle Walker and gave him a feeling he doesn’t get very frequently.
Aina took over as left-back for Forest after Nuno Tavares was injured. Shortly after, he bombed up the flank, astonishingly outpacing Walker, the Premier League’s fastest player.
It sent a shudder through the Etihad Stadium and startled City fans into stillness for a brief period. Last season, Walker edged out Brennan Johnson for the fastest burst of speed of the season, which came as quite a surprise.
Aina, a Forest player, performed admirably against Manchester City.
This was extremely crazy and totally unexpected. Although Aina has proven to be no slouch in the games he’s played this season, few expected him to outpace Walker any time soon.
The situation clearly demonstrates that Aina may be a valuable addition to the Forest ranks. Aina was signed as a free agent for a variety of reasons, but it is evident that some due diligence was done.
He has a lot of time on his side at the age of 26. Given his strong start to the season, Forest would be wise to try to sign him to a longer contract in the near future.
