Botafogo have refused Brighton and Hove Albion’s latest bid for Cuiabano, believing that they can get more after the Club World Cup.
That’s according to O Globo, who report that Brighton’s third bid of €9m for the 22-year-old left-back has been rejected.
The newspaper explains that there are two reasons for the refusal. The first is that, behind the scenes, Botafogo believe that Cuiabano is worth €10-12m. Thus, Brighton’s offers so far have been below their expectations.
Secondly, they believe the defender will earn himself plenty of attention during the Club World Cup. This will not only increase his suitors but his asking price as well.
Brighton have already seen two bids rejected before this third offer and are now evaluating what to do next. The belief is that they will make another bid at some point.
They know they face competition from Nottingham Forest, who are also in ongoing negotiations with Botafogo over the player. They’ve already reached an agreement to sign striker Igor Jesus and are working on a deal for 20-year-old defender Jair as well.
That puts Brighton at something of a disadvantage, although whether that convinces them to increase their bid to what Botafogo want, remains to be seen.