It may look as if Nottingham Forest’s raid on Botafogo’s top talents has come out of the blue, but it all makes sense when remembering Evangelos Marinakis’ previous comments.
Botafogo fans aren’t happy with Forest as the Reds are looking to sign Igor Jesus, Jair Cunha and Cuiabano from their club, all in one single swoop.
It all started when Forest entered advanced talks to sign Jesus, before the news broke that the two young defenders could also become a part of Marinakis’ football family, whether at Forest or not.
Marinakis has a good relationship with John Textor, which should make the negotiations smooth. However, even if the Reds fail to sign these Botafogo stars, the Forest owner has made his feelings on Brazilian football very clear.
Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
A largely private man, Marinakis welcomed the Sky Sports cameras behind the curtain into his life back in December, when Edu Gaspar’s role at Forest was first being discussed.
Edu is expected to help Marinakis buy a Brazilian club, which led to questions in the interview about Brazilian football, something the Greek businessman is clearly passionate about.
He said: “For us, the Brazilian market is very important. We have had some very good players who have played over the years for Olympiacos and also Nottingham Forest.
“It’s a gate, let’s say, for Brazilian players to come into Europe and for me, this is very important for the years to come.”
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Forest have benefited from the Brazilian market through the likes of Murillo, but Marinakis’ faith in the region hasn’t always helped the Reds.
Nottingham Forest have made mistakes with Brazilian signings
There are bargains to be found in the South American markets, and Marinakis must’ve thought he had another when Forest signed Gustavo Scarpa on a free transfer.
Ian Wright hailed Scarpa for his display against Leicester City in January 2023, but the Brazilian only went on to make ten appearances for Forest, not managing a goal or an assist.
The Forest owner clearly wasn’t ready to give up on Scarpa, as the attacking midfielder signed on loan for Olympiacos. However, Scarpa struggled at Olympiacos as much as he did in Nottingham, not registering a goal contribution in 11 games.
Scarpa has now found his form back in Brazil at Atletico Mineiro, but he can be seen as a warning to Marinakis that not every player who is starring in South America will be suitable for the Premier League.