Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is said to be the driving force behind plans to bring three Brazilian players to the City Ground - a move that has sparked a backlash in their home country.
Forest have Igor Jesus, Jair Cunha and Cuiabano in their sightsin a triple raid on Botafogo, but not all are happy about it.
Globo Esporte, arguably the biggest sport media outlet in Brazil, claims Botafogo owner John Textor has a good relationship with Marinakis and that the two men alone have handled negotiations to bring the players to the City Ground.
They add: “Given the good relationship between the two leaders, it was understood that it would be better to handle everything directly, without the need for intermediaries or agents, something common in football.”
The report claims Jesus has reached an agreement to join Forest after the Club World Cup for around €20m, with Marinakis agreeing a large upfront payment to get the deal done before the tournament in the US later this month. Deals are also said to be close for Jair Cunha and Cuiabano.
According to Globo, Marinakis invited Textor, who is also co-owner of Crystal Palace and Lyon in France, into his box for Forest’s match against Liverpool last season, and says the pair regularly talk about opportunities in Brazilian football. The Forest boss is reportedly keen to buy a Brazilian club of his own.
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Popular TV pundit André Loffredo has now spoken out against the imminent Forest deals, telling Fogaonet: ”I think the deal is good for Textor, but bad for Botafogo. Bad for the players too. I think they are going to a modest club, with development difficulties."
Striker Jesus has been on Forest’s radar for some time. They were first credited with an interest in him last October and reportedly had a £30 million bid rejected in January because the front man felt staying put was best for his career.
The 24-year-old came up through the ranks at Coritiba and then had a spell in Dubai with Shabab Al Ahli. He returned to Brazil to sign for Botafogo 12 months ago.
Central defender Jair is a product of the Santos academy. He left for Botafogo in February and soon established himself as a first-team regular at his new club.
The 20-year-old, who stands at more than 6ft tall, is viewed as a promising talent. He has represented Brazil at youth level.
Left-back Cuiabano joined Botafogo from Gremio in April 2024. The 22-year-old has been a regular starter for the club since then. He can also play as a left wing-back.
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