So, John Victor is leaving Botafogo for the Premier League after all. But, as Fabrizio Romano reveals, his eventual destination will not be West Ham United.
Less than a month ago, it seemed only a matter of time before John Victor would become the fourth signing of the summer window at the London Stadium, following in the footsteps of El Hadji Malick Diouf, Kyle Walker-Peters and Callum Wilson.
Instead, that honour went to Mads Hermansen.
While Hammers News reported that Hermansen was always Graham Potter’s first-choice, talks with a certain 6ft 5ins Brazilian also went right down to the wire.
Fabrizio Romano even said that West Ham United had ‘agreed terms’ on an £8.5 million package.
But although John Victor did his best to control the narrative – he never wanted to leave Botafogo anyway, yeah right – the truth is that a deal negotiated through intermediaries turned pretty complicated.
So, as Romano now reveals three-and-a-half days later that Nottingham Forest have the former Santos giant in their crosshairs, the City Ground faithful would be best advised keeping their counsel until John Victor is shaking hands with Nuno Espirito Santo.
A lot can change in a matter of minutes in the transfer window.
Fabrizio Romano, Italian sports journalist
Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images
Fabrizio Romano says John Victor will join Nottingham Forest after West Ham United collapse
Hammers News’ chief football correspondent Graeme Bailey said, after talks broke down in early-August, that the figures relayed to West Ham by those intermediaries were different from those put to Botafogo.
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Strangely enough – or perhaps appropriately enough given the strange nature of this transfer saga – the Londoners were back in the mix for John Victor’s signature a few days ago.
Bailey revealed that West Ham offered Botafogo £850,000 by way of an initial loan deal, with a view to make the transfer permanent later down the line.
It quickly became apparent that such discussions would go no further.
West Ham’s new approach was ‘turned down out of hand by Botafogo’. So it will be interesting to learn what sort of a package Nottingham Forest have put forward, the reigning Copa Libertadores champions proving themselves to be rather tricky negotiators.
West Ham United linked goalkeeper John Victor during Atletico Mineiro v Botafogo: Final - Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores 2024
Photo by Pool Pelaez Burga/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Sergej Jakirovic says Ivor Pandur ‘wants to stay’ at Hull City
With Mads Hermansen in the middle of a nightmare start to life in East London and Alphonse Areola hardly faring any better during a Carabao Cup collapse at Wolves, it appears that West Ham may yet add a fourth goalkeeper to their first-team ranks before Monday’s deadline.
Hammers News can confirm that West Ham approached Sheffield Wednesday for Pierce Charles while Hull City glovesman Ivor Pandur was linked this week.
Links that the man in the Tigers’ dugout was keen to play down on Friday. Sergej Jakirovic believes that Pandur ‘wants to stay’ amid interest from Middlesbrough among others.
Funnily enough, John Victor could be a Nottingham Forest player by the time West Ham arrive in the East Midlands for Sunday’s early kick-off.
But while Mateus Fernandes could make his debut – putting pen to paper with the Hammers before Friday’s 12pm cut-off point – John will not be part of the home side’s squad until after the September international break.