Exclusive: Nottingham Forest's Ola Aina Tops Everton Boss David Moyes’ January Right-Back Target List

Everton are contemplating the prospect of Nottingham Forest’s Ola Aina to solve their right-back issues, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal. 

Our sources have been told Toffees’ boss David Moyes is keen to strengthen the area during the January window.

First choice Seamus Coleman, who has been injured this term, is 37 and been limited to just one league start in the Premier League this season.

Nathan Patterson, who has been earmarked to replace Coleman in the long-run, has endured fitness issues as well and also made just a solitary league start leaving Moyes having to use the makeshift options at his disposal.

Chiefs in Merseyside have prepared an extensive shortlist of options for Moyes to run the rule over ahead of a swoop into the January sales.

And our sources have been told a name that has emerged on the list is Forest’s Aina now he has returned from his own injury nightmare.

But it is said Moyes is unconvinced about signing a player who has also sat on the sidelines this season in case a reoccurrence of the hamstring injury which forced the 29-year-old to have surgery in September.

Aina is under contract at Forest until the summer of 2028 after he extended his deal at the City Ground, where he moved to from Torino in 2023, in the summer. 

SportsBoom also previously reported that Leeds and Burnley had shown interest in Everton youngster Harrison Armstrong, who spent the season on loan at Championship side Preston, but he has since been recalled by David Moyes and immediately thrown into the first-team picture.

Other Options

Former Toffees boss Sean Dyche has been delighted to have Aina, who completed his first 90 minutes of the campaign since August in Forest’s last league outing at West Ham, back in the fold and wants to keep him at all costs.

Arsenal’s Ben White is another option high up on Moyes’ radar. The former England international is playing second fiddle after the emergence of talented Jurrien Timber at the Emirates this season. 

Everton could also look further afield and have been linked with Bologna’s Emil Holm and AS Monaco’s Vanderson, rated at around £20million, is recent days.