Neto has accepted Botafogo’s salary offer (the amount remains undisclosed) and is now waiting for the final piece to fall into place before completing his move: [the sale of John to West Ham](https://sportwitness.co.uk/still-no-go-club-waiting-to-replace-player-before-accepting-west-ham-bid/).
[According to Globo Esporte](https://ge.globo.com/futebol/times/botafogo/noticia/2025/08/04/neto-aceita-proposta-salarial-e-botafogo-aguarda-venda-de-john-para-finalizar-contratacao.ghtml), the Rio club are holding back on officially sealing the deal until John’s departure is signed and sealed.
The 36-year-old goalkeeper is currently with Bournemouth on their pre-season tour in the United States. He has already begun the process of terminating his contract, and the Premier League club are not expected to stand in the way of his exit. If all goes to plan, Neto would travel directly from North America to join Botafogo.
Botafogo chose Neto due to his experience, readiness, and the ease of the negotiation. As insider Sergio Santana explained on the Globo Esporte’s podcast, “Bournemouth don’t count on him. He was already out on loan and he should be able to terminate his contract amicably. He’d be available for free and ready to play, even without full rhythm.”
In contrast, other recently linked options would be more complex: “Nottingham Forest’s Carlos Miguel, for example, is only expected to leave if there’s some payment involved, a transfer fee, even if it’s well below his market value.”
That practicality gave Neto the edge. He’s entering the final year of his Bournemouth contract, and the club are willing to release him at no cost. Despite limited recent minutes, he is viewed as someone who could step in quickly and provide stability.
Head coach Davide Ancelotti and Botafogo’s goalkeeping staff are said to have personally approved the signing. Now, we’re all simply waiting for West Ham to push the domino.