Newcastle United are thought to be preparing to open talks over the signing of an “underrated” Nottingham Forest player, with a summer move to St James’ Park mooted.
Newcastle suffer blow to Champions League hopes
The Magpies have been in impressive form in recent months, not least winning the EFL Cup after a memorable final victory over Liverpool, but they were humbled by Aston Villa on Saturday evening.
Newcastle lost 4-1 at Villa Park, despite equalising through Fabian Schar in the first half, with their Champions League qualification hopes dented in the process.
That’s not to say that Eddie Howe‘s side don’t still find themselves in a great position, sitting third in the Premier League table, but they are now only one point ahead of Manchester City, following their 2-0 win at Everton, and two clear of Nottingham Forest and Villa, in fifth and sixth place respectively.
With five games to go in the league this season, it is all to play in the Champions League battle, with Newcastle knowing the importance of finishing in the top five, in terms of top-quality signings coming in this summer.
Newcastle to open talks to sign “underrated” Forest star Aina
According to Caught Offside, Newcastle are expected to open talks with Nottingham Forest right-back Ola Aina‘s representatives over a summer move to the club.
The rumoured discussions are likely to take place in the “coming weeks”, with Tottenham also in the same position as the Magpies. The likes of Liverpool and Chelsea are mentioned as possible suitors, too.
Right-back is an area that Newcastle should be focusing on at the end of the season, with Tino Livramento still a young player and Kieran Trippier’s best days now behind him at the age of 34.
Related
As bad as Schar & Burn: Newcastle must drop 4/10 star whose “legs gave up”
Newcastle’s winning run in the Premier League came to an end at Villa Park.
In Aina, the Magpies could have a great option to come in and be an immediate hit, having stood out as one of Forest’s most consistent players this season, being hailed as “underrated” by analyst Ben Mattinson.
The 28-year-old has been part of a solid Reds defence that has helped them get into the Champions League reckoning, starting 30 out of 33 Premier League games and averaging 2.9 clearances per match.
The fact that the £40,000-a-week Aina already has plenty of experience in the Premier League can only bode well for Newcastle, allowing him to be an instant hit, and his entertaining social media presence off the pitch could also make him a popular figure among the fanbase.
