After a very good season while on loan, Chelsea defender Ola Aina has today joined Torino FC permanently after they exercised the (rather cheap) €10m buy-option included in his loan contract.
Chelsea tried to convince Aina at the last minute that he could still have a future at Stamford Bridge, but that effort came too late. The 22-year-old has enjoyed his time in Torino and will be looking to build on that success in the Serie A.
Thanks @Aina2Ola, and good luck for the future!
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) June 11, 2019
Aina joined Chelsea in 2007 at the under-11 level, winning several trophies as a youth player (one U21 Premier League, two FA Youth Cups, two UEFA Youth League titles) before making his senior professional debut under Antonio Conte in 2016-17. Before heading to Torino, he was a regular starter during a season-long loan spell at Championship club Hull City.
At Torino, his versatility translated into key minutes on either flank as a wing-back in Walter Mazzarri’s usual 3-4-3/3-5-2 system. Given his quality performances, his happiness, and the cheap buy-option, this transfer was surely only a matter of time. And so, Torino add to their team a young, skillful, and enterprising player, who still has a lot of room to grow.
Our loss is their gain.
Good luck, Ola!