Nottingham Forest took a step closer to their Premier League opener against Bournemouth on Friday night with their latest friendly.
Nuna Espirito Santo’s men drew 0-0 with Villarreal in La Liga in what proved to be a solid test for the Reds.
There have been mixed results in pre-season, but there’s no denying their efforts, with Anthony Elanga admitting Forest did double sessions in the 40C Spanish heat.
And it looks like the hard work put in earlier this summer is starting to pay off with some impressive displays at the City Ground on Friday.
Forest may not have been able to secure victory, but there was one player who particularly impressed in front of the home crowd.
The £40,000-a-week player really impressed in Forest’s game against Villarreal
With just two weeks to go until the start of Forest’s 2024/25 campaign, Nuno has named a strong starting line-up against the Spanish side.
And the starting XI earned just over an hour of football before the Forest boss began making changes.
This could be the right proposition for the team that could start the game against Bournemouth in a few weeks time.
The defense included new signing Nikola Milenkovic, but it was Ola Aina who put in a solid performance on the left flank.
After the match, journalist Paul Taylor took to social media to share how impressed he was with £40,000-a-week defender Ain.
“Ola Aina was impressive again tonight… he even outscored Murillo in a great effort in the shorts,” said the Athletic reporter.
“If he gets a strong wind at his back, that will give him a little extra boost.”
Nottingham Forest could sign more players this summer
Forest have been one of the busiest clubs in the Premier League transfer market after adding six new faces.
Of course, Marko Stamenič immediately went on loan, but the Reds still have about a month to secure further reinforcements.
But it could also mean there is still time for Forest to possibly see some of their players leave before the deadline.
It has been suggested that Forest have now dramatically reduced their valuation of Murillo as a Chelsea loom.