Super Eagles defender Ola Aina has disclosed that he came close to signing for Tottenham Hotspur as a youngster but opted out due to the club’s poor handling of his proposed move. The Nottingham Forest full-back revealed that Spurs left him and his father waiting for nearly five hours without explanation, prompting them to walk away.
Speaking on the 90s Baby Show, Aina recalled how he had been training with the North London side and was told he would be signed on a specific day. However, when the time came, the club’s lack of communication changed the course of his career.
“I was at Spurs, training and training. They said they were going to sign me after a session,” Aina explained. “When we arrived, they told me and my dad to sit in an office. One hour, two hours, nearly five hours went by. I was already telling my dad I was hungry. Eventually, we just left. They never got back to us.”
Following the incident, Aina joined Chelsea’s academy in 2013, rising through the youth ranks but struggling to break into the first team. He went on loan to Hull City and Torino before securing a permanent move to the Italian club in 2019.
After further stints at Fulham and Torino, Aina moved to Nottingham Forest, where he has become a key figure. His performances last season earned him a nomination for the Premier League Team of the Season.
With Forest finishing seventh in the league, Aina is now set to make his UEFA Europa League debut next season. The club qualified after Crystal Palace, despite winning the FA Cup, were placed in the UEFA Conference League due to multi-club ownership rules.
Aina, 28, will be a central figure in Forest’s European campaign, marking another milestone in a career that once nearly started at White Hart Lane.
