I almost joined them — Ola Aina reveals he was close to signing for Chelsea's rivals

Ola Aina joined Chelsea's academy in 2013 and progressed through the ranks aiming to make a name for himself as a versatile full-back.

However, he could not secure a spot in Chelsea's senior team, leading to loan spells at Hull City and Torino before joining the Italian side permanently in 2019.

The 29-year-old subsequently played for Fulham before joining Nottingham Forest in 2024. Aina has become a key player at Nottingham Forest, delivering strong performances last season, becoming one of the Premier League's standout players.

In a recent interview on the 90s Baby Show, the Super Eagles star shared that his career could have taken a different path.

“I was at Spurs (Tottenham), training and training. Then, they told me that they were going to sign me on a particular day after the training,” Aina said.

“The time comes, we go into an office and my dad and I are told to sit. We sat there one hour, two hours, almost five hours. I was already complaining to my dad that I was hungry.

"My dad told me to go into the office. But we just got fed up and left. They never said anything to us after that.”

Breaking into Chelsea’s first team was challenging due to the high quality of players in every position, but Aina found success at Nottingham Forest via Fulham.

He has become one of the Premier League’s most consistent players, contributing to his team’s 7th-place finish and securing European football for the upcoming season.