Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has included Super Eagles defender Ola Aina in his Premier League Team of the Season for the first half of the 2024/25 campaign.
Aina, who has been a regular starter for Nottingham Forest this season, is one of the first names on manager Nuno Espírito Santo’s team sheet.
The Nigeria international has started every league match for the Tricky Trees so far, playing a pivotal role in their strong defensive displays.
The 28-year-old has been key in helping goalkeeper Matz Sels record an impressive eight clean sheets in the first 19 games of the season.
Nottingham Forest, with 11 wins, four draws, and four losses, boast the third-best defensive record in the Premier League, conceding just 19 goals only behind Liverpool (17) and Arsenal (16).
Offensively, Aina has also impressed, scoring two goals in his last ten top-flight appearances.
His performances have caught the attention of several clubs, with Manchester City reportedly interested in acquiring him during one of the upcoming transfer windows.
Carragher, in selecting his best XI for the season, included Aina in his 4-2-3-1 formation. Alongside Aina in the back four are Nikola Milenković (Nottingham Forest), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), and Antonee Robinson (Fulham), with David Raya in goal.
Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool) and Moisés Caicedo (Chelsea) are the holding midfielders, while Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Matheus Cunha (Wolverhampton Wanderers), and Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest) complete the attacking line.
Explaining his choice of Aina, Carragher said on Sky Sports: “Ola Aina plays right-back and left-back. Every time I watch him he does that job on both sides, and every time I watch him I do look at him and think he could play for a team who expects to be in the Champions League every season.
It’s the defensive side of it that really impresses me so I felt like I had to get two of their defenders in there.”
Nottingham Forest are reportedly keen to secure Aina’s future at the club, with talks over a new deal in progress, as interest from Premier League giants Manchester City continues to grow.
