Nottingham Forest moved closer to their Premier League opener against Bournemouth with their latest friendly on Friday night.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s team played to a 0-0 draw against La Liga side Villarreal, providing a solid test for the Reds.
Pre-season results have been mixed, but the effort is undeniable, with Anthony Elanga revealing that Forest did double sessions in the 40°C Spain heat.
The hard work from earlier this summer is starting to pay off, as evidenced by some impressive displays at the City Ground on Friday.
While Forest didn’t secure a win, one player stood out in front of the home crowd.
£40k-per-week player shines in Forest vs Villarreal
With only two weeks until the 2024/25 campaign begins, Nuno fielded a strong XI against Villarreal.
The starting XI played for just over an hour before changes were made, suggesting this could be the lineup for the opener against Bournemouth.
The defense included new signing Nikola Milenkovic, but it was left-back Ola Aina who delivered a standout performance.
Journalist Paul Taylor took to social media to praise the £40k-per-week full-back, Aina.
“Ola Aina has been impressive again tonight… he also has even outdone Murillo in the massive shorts stakes,” said The Athletic reporter.
Ola Aina has been impressive again tonight… he also has even outdone Murillo in the massive shorts stakes.
If he gets a strong wind behind him, it'll give him a bit of extra pace #NFFC— Paul Taylor (@nottmtails) August 2, 2024
“If he gets a strong wind behind him, it’ll give him a bit of extra pace.”
Nottingham Forest could still add more players this summer
Forest have been one of the busiest clubs in the Premier League transfer market, adding six new faces.
Although Marko Stamenic was loaned out immediately, the Reds still have about a month to finalize more signings.
There is also potential for some players to depart before the deadline, with reports suggesting that Forest have significantly lowered their valuation of Murillo as Chelsea shows interest.