Nottingham Forest had a busy transfer window, but away from the club, a former Red almost found his way back to the Premier League.
Perhaps showing the current state of the market, Forest did the majority of their incoming business with teams outside of England, but did manage to add some crucial Premier League experience.
Douglas Luiz arrived from Juventus with past success at Aston Villa on his CV, while James McAtee signed for Forest having shown plenty of promise at Manchester City.
On deadline day, Forest signed Oleksandr Zinchenko to add further Premier League know-how, but away from the City Ground, a former Red was denied a swift return to English football.
Danilo in action for Botafogo against Bragantino.
Photo by Lucas Figueiredo/Getty Images
Danilo almost made a swift return to the Premier League
In one of the more high-profile exits of the summer, Danilo left Forest for Botafogo in a deal that left fans slightly disappointed, but equally understanding given the fringe role he’d been playing for Nuno Espírito Santo.
The memories of Danilo’s initial impact in the Premier League were still strong, even with him out of the side, as there was always a feeling he could still star in English football.
According to Ge, he actually had an opportunity to make a shock return to the Premier League, with a £26m offer made.
We can confirm that Danilo has completed a permanent transfer to Botafogo.
Everyone at Forest thanks Danilo for his contribution while at the Club, wishing him the very best for the next stage of his career. ❤️
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) July 18, 2025
View Tweet
MORE FOREST STORIES
The report said: “Botafogo rejected a €30 million offer from Fulham—R$191 million at the current exchange rate—for midfielder Danilo. The proposal was presented on Monday, the last day of the English transfer window, but was rejected by Alvinegro.
“Negotiations were short-lived, and the club’s board closed the deal, citing a lack of time for a replacement.”
It would’ve been a remarkable move after such a short time at Botafogo, but according to owner John Textor on social media, the midfielder was never going to depart.
John Textor responds to Danilo to Fulham rumours
Evangelos Marinakis’ friendship with Textor has been incredibly beneficial this summer, with four additions from Botafogo alongside the sale of Danilo.
It seems as if the 24-year-old has been a hit already for Botafogo, making Textor unwilling to see him leave so soon.
On Instagram, Textor said: “True, we did receive an offer from a Premier League club that was financially significant. False, we did not reject the offer for the lack of a replacement. We rejected the offer because we absolutely love the player.”
Given how well he is doing out in Brazil, coupled with his Premier League experience, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Fulham or other clubs return with a bid for Danilo in the future.