With just six games remaining, third-placed Nottingham Forest look set to secure European football for the first time in 30 years, an incredible achievement that is testament to their collective spirit, successful recruitment, and the outstanding management of Nuno Espirito Santo. Qualification for Europe regardless of the competition would have vast financial benefits for Forest, and could lead to a hectic summer transfer window as the Tricky Trees prepare for a jam-packed 2025/26 campaign. With that in mind, the club will first need to make decisions on the five players whose contracts are expiring in the summer, and assess whether they remain a valuable asset for the club going forward. Here is a roundup of the Nottingham Forest players who are out of contract this summer.
Which Nottingham Forest Players Are Out of Contract in the Summer?
Ola Aina:
Prior to the injury he sustained in Forest’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United on April 2, no outfield player had played more minutes for Nuno’s side this season than Ola Aina. The 28-year-old has established himself as one of the club’s most important players since joining on a one-year deal in the summer of 2023, and his ability to play on both the left and right side of defence makes him an “indispensable asset”.
The Nigerian international penned a one-year contract extension last summer. Talks around extending the right-back’s contract beyond this summer have been held, but any deal on the table has yet to be signed.
The 28-year-old is likely to be of interest to a number of teams in the Premier League and beyond, as he has been one of the standout performers in a side that have defied all expectations to challenge for Champions League qualification. Being able to tie down Aina to a longer contract will therefore be one of Forest’s key priorities in the coming months.
Harry Toffolo:
Harry Toffolo has had a mixed spell at the City Ground since joining Forest from Huddersfield in 2022. The 29-year-old played 21 games in his first season for the Tricky Trees before becoming more of an important figure last season as the club battled to avoid Premier League relegation, making 29 appearances in all competitions and earning a one-year contract extension.
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This season, however, he has made just five appearances in all competitions and looks to have fallen a long way down the pecking order. It is therefore unlikely that the left-back will be a Forest player beyond this season, particularly as the club have progressed so dramatically and will be looking to recruit European-quality players.
Willy Boly
Experienced centre-half Willy Boly has been a useful squad player for Nottingham Forest since signing from Wolves in 2022, with the Ivorian international making 45 appearances for the club in his three seasons so far. Just like Toffolo, Boly enjoyed his best season in a Forest shirt last year, earning a one-year extension in the process, but has seen his minutes dramatically reduced this year.
At 34 years old, it is unlikely that the club will extend the defender’s deal beyond this summer, especially as he is firmly behind the impressive and significantly younger Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo and Morato in the pecking order.
Wayne Hennessey
Now into his second spell at the club, it remains to be seen as to whether third-choice goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey will be at the City Ground next year, as the 38-year-old only re-signed on a short-term deal in January.
The Welsh international, who has 108 caps to his name, seems to be more of a useful player to have in the dressing room rather than a genuine goalkeeping option, so could potentially be kept on another year purely for his value off the pitch.
Alex Moreno (Loan)
Alex Moreno joined Nottingham Forest on an initial season-long loan in the summer and has made 19 appearances in all competitions for the Tricky Trees. The loan deal reportedly includes an option for Forest to sign the 31-year-old Spaniard permanently for an undisclosed fee, meaning that a decision will need to be made soon on whether to keep Moreno at the City Ground beyond this season.
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Although the form of right-footed Neco Williams means that Moreno has largely been Forest’s backup left-back this season, the left-footer has been impressive when called upon and provides a more natural option down the left-hand side. With 422 career appearances to his name, the 31-year-old is a highly experienced and dependable defender who could be a very useful option as the club battle a more congested fixture list next season.
