Nottingham Forest is involved in a fight for survival this season in the Premier League in England, and they will be hoping Nigeria’s Taiwo Awoniyi can score the goals needed for them to avoid the drop.
Nottingham Forest have broken their transfer record! 🤑
Former Liverpool forward Taiwo Awoniyi joins the newly promoted club after a £17.2m (A$31m) release clause was triggered with Union Berlin.
The latest transfer news 📝 https://t.co/eNPcKKx61r#OptusSport #PL pic.twitter.com/xfOfjAMx8c
— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) June 26, 2022
Awoniyi joined Forest from Union Berlin in 2022 for a club-record transfer fee of £17 million. Since then, he has been a big part of their attack, scoring in six consecutive Premier League games earlier in the campaign.
Back To Full Fitness
The Nigeria international has had a couple of injuries this season which has meant he has missed a large chunk of action. He is now back to full fitness, and he will be available for selection for manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
Nottingham Forest is quoted at +170 in the betting on football for relegation this season. They still have a lot of work to do to secure their Premier League status for the 2024/25 campaign, despite some positive results recently.
Awoniyi will be supported in the Forest attack by Belgian striker Divock Origi. Belgium is +1600 in the betting on Euro 2024 this summer. The former Liverpool player will be hoping to do enough for his club to earn a place in his country’s 23-man squad for that major tournament. He has not played for his country since 2022, but he is sure to be under consideration by Belgium head coach Domenico Tedesco.
Ola Aina Has Settled in Well to Midlands Club
The Nottingham Forest striker was joined at the Midlands club by his international teammate Ola Aina last summer. After he was released by Italian side Torino, Aina signed for Forest on a one-year deal.
Taking 34! 👕
Show some love for our newest recruit! ☺️#OlaIn pic.twitter.com/wgOqqJT0Ep
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) September 11, 2020
Aina’s first goal for Forest came in a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa back in November. This is his third spell in the top flight in England, as he has also played for Chelsea and Fulham. He made his senior football debut for the former, while he was on loan at the Cottagers in the 2020/21 season.
The Forest player was part of the Nigeria team that finished runners-up at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2023. He will be hoping to do enough to earn a new contract with his latest club over the final stretch of the season.
Nigeria In World Cup Qualification Action in June
The Super Eagles are back in action in June when they resume their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign. They have a home game against South Africa and then a trip to Benin to look forward to.
Nigeria missed out on a place at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. They will be hoping to book their place at the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The Super Eagles need to finish top of their group to earn an automatic qualification place, while a second spot in the table may be good enough for a playoff spot. The best four runners-up go into the playoffs, with two of those countries qualifying for the World Cup.
For now, Awoniyi and Aina’s focus will be on the 2023/24 Premier League season. It comes to an end on May 19 when Nottingham Forest face Burnley at Turf Moor.