Brazilian journalist [**Jorge Nicola**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQCnGxZLaGk&ab_channel=CanaldoNicola) has reported that Nottingham Forest have been directly involved in John Textor’s financial arrangements with Evangelos Marinakis, with transfers from Botafogo used to settle debts.
On his YouTube channel, Nicola explained that Textor, who borrowed heavily from Marinakis in the past couple of years. Lacking the resources to repay in cash, Textor allegedly allowed Marinakis to pick players from Botafogo to offset part of what was owed.
That would explain the series of recent moves linking the clubs under their umbrella. In the past months, Jair, Igor Jesus, John and Cuiabano all joined Nottingham Forest, while Rafael Lobato was loaned to Rio Ave and midfielder Danilo moved the other way, arriving at Botafogo from Forest.
According to Nicola, these deals between Botafogo, Lyon and Nottingham Forest have generated around R$ 480m (£65m) in transfer activity. The journalist claims this was not just regular market business, but also tied to Textor’s debts with Marinakis.
The relationship between the two owners is now being followed closely in Brazil, as Marinakis is even viewed as a potential partner for Textor should he look for new investors at Botafogo.
For now, what remains clear is that Forest’s squad has been a direct beneficiary of these arrangements, with multiple Brazilian players arriving as part of an unusual financial settlement.