Torino are hoping to sell Ola Aina to a Premier League club this summer with West Ham United and Leeds keen on the £9 million-rated Serie A right-back, as reported by Calciomercato.
If it wasn’t for an ill-timed injury, Aina might already be plying his trade on English soil.
The former Chelsea, Hull City and Fulham man was supposed to join Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds during the January transfer window. That was, however, until his replacement at Torino – Mohamed Fares – ruptured his ACL at the African Cup of Nations and was ruled out for the rest of the season.
Barring another unexpected and unfortunate twist, Aina will depart in the summer.
The London-born 25-year-old is one of a number of players transfer-listed by a Torino side flying high under impressive head coach Ivan Juric.
President Urbano Cairo hopes to recoup the £9 million investment he made when signing Aina from Chelsea in the summer of 2019.
But Cairo is fully aware that only Premier League clubs would be willing – or able – to stump up that sort of cash for a player who didn’t exactly set the world alight during a forgettable loan spell at Craven Cottage last term.
Aina has just 12 months left on his Torino contract after all.
Making their money back on a player who’ll be a free-agent in the summer of 2023 would be some achievement.
Is Ola Aina returning to the Premier League?
It remains to be seen what Bielsa’s sudden departure – and the subsequent appointment of Jesse Marsch – means for Leeds’ interest in the versatile Aina. Marsch will arrive at Elland Road with his own ideas and transfer targets.
Furthermore, Leeds have one of England’s most exciting young right-backs on their books in the shape of Cardiff City loanee Cody Drameh.
All Nigeria Soccer report that, in addition to West Ham and Leeds, Crystal Palace have expressed an interest in Aina.
The right-back spot is one area of Patrick Vieira’s squad crying out for reinforcement. Neither Joel Ward nor Nathaniel Clyne are natural fits for the manager’s adventurous gameplan.
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