Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has said talks over new deals with three of the club’s most important players are “going well”.
Full-back Ola Aina has been linked with Manchester City and is out of contract at the end of the season, when 12-goal top scorer Chris Wood’s terms also expire.
“I hope that everything reaches a good [conclusion],” said Santo, who was also asked about discussions between Forest and Murillo to extend the centre-back’s contract beyond 2028.
“I think things are going well. The people who are responsible for that part of the club are taking care of it.
“It helps when a player is happy at a club and there are no issues in terms of changing what we want: we want our players to feel good and we provide the right atmosphere, but then they have to do their jobs on the pitch.”
Focus turns to the @EmiratesFACup. 🔜 pic.twitter.com/cR9IT7fQdJ
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) January 8, 2025
Aina, Murillo, Wood ‘happy’ at Forest
Aina and Murillo have been almost-ever present during Forest’s first 20 league games of the season, with only Arsenal bettering their record of 19 goals conceded.
Wood’s 12 goals make the 33-year-old the sixth-highest scorer in the top flight, helped by a run of eight in 10 matches at the start of the season.
“What I see is that they are happy,” said Santo, adding that the visit of second-tier strugglers Luton Town in the FA Cup third round on Saturday (3pm GMT) is a “good chance” for squad players to “enjoy themselves and do their jobs properly”.
“They are OK and working very well. We’re going to make changes because every player deserves to start the game. We see them work and we demand a lot.”
You’ll never beat Murillo. 🎶⛔️ pic.twitter.com/c34qLa7eEx
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) January 7, 2025
Forest vs Luton
Despite being third in the Premier League, Santo said the evident strong team spirit among his players is “not yet good enough”.
“We still have things to work on,” he argued. “But these special moments mean a lot for everyone and the squad. When they have these special moments, everyone sees how happy they are.”
Forest are on a six-match winning run and are aiming to go beyond the FA Cup quarter-finals for the fourth time since reaching the final in 1990/91, when they lost 2-1 to Tottenham.
