Danilo
Nottingham Forest are seeing Danilo generate discussion around the club again, this time because of an interview given during his strong revival back in Brazil.
After returning from England, the midfielder has rebuilt momentum in impressive fashion at Botafogo.
He is now one of the key men in John Textor’s side, both for his level of performance and for what he represents in the market.
And as we covered earlier, Botafogo recently tried to send him back to Forest again, only for the move to be blocked amid the legal dispute around the club’s structure.
In other words, Nottingham Forest have not disappeared from his story at all. If anything, they keep reappearing in it.
Back to top form at Botafogo
Danilo’s value has risen sharply because he is producing again.He has scored five goals in six Brazilian league matches, while also adding one assist. For a central midfielder, those are striking numbers.
They help explain why he has become such an important figure for Botafogo so quickly after returning to Brazil from Nottingham Forest. They also explain why his name is again moving around the market.
His domestic form has also pushed him back into the Brazil squad. He was called up by Carlo Ancelotti for the friendlies against France and Croatia, and the wider picture in Brazil is that he is firmly in the frame for the World Cup if this level continues. That adds even more weight to every transfer rumour involving him.
Against that backdrop, Palmeiras and Flamengo are both being linked with taking him away from Botafogo. Yet the player himself appears to have a different long-term idea in mind.
Europe remains the plan
Speaking to UOL, Danilo made it clear that he still sees Europe as his intended destination at some stage.
“I think my mentality has changed. Of course, now I am at Botafogo and I am thinking about helping the team get out of this struggle we are having at the start of the year. And, if it is God’s will for me to return to Europe, I will think about it and then we go again,” he said.
“I always thought about returning to Europe. I really liked playing in the Premier League. Back then I scored goals, and I helped save the team from relegation with my teammates at Nottingham Forest, and I was confident there.”
That is the key line. While Brazilian clubs are circling, Danilo himself is talking about Europe – and most specifically, Forest.
He also reflected on one of the toughest moments of his time at the City Croung, offering more context on how that spell shaped him.
Asked about theinjury he suffered shortly after arriving in England, Danilo admitted it was a major setback at the time.
“It was very difficult, especially because it happened at the start of the Premier League. I had a good pre-season, the coach praised me, I was in my best physical moment and then it happened”, he said.
“I broke my ankle and left it in God’s hands. Of course it was hard. I spent a long time without playing, but what I went through there helped me mature even more and live this dream now with the national team.”
Nottingham Forest spell still matters
There is also a clear warmth in the way he talks about Nottingham Forest.He did not describe the move as a failure or as a chapter he wants to forget. Instead, he framed it as an important period in his growth, and one he still looks back on with confidence.
That should catch Forest attention, especially because his time there was not limited to one difficult run.
He arrived midway through one season, then lived through the full 2023/24 relegation battle, and then featured again across the opening half of the following campaign before heading back to Brazil.
The survival season is the obvious reference point. Forest finished just above the bottom three in 2023/24, and Danilo played 29 Premier League matches, with two goals and two assists.
He was part of a side that stayed up by a narrow margin, finishing ahead of Luton Town, Burnley and Sheffield United. Forest ended that season on 32 points, six above 18th place.
Now he is thriving again, attracting attention again, and speaking about Europe again. That means Nottingham Forest are part of the conversation again too.
EXCLUSIVE: Mathías Olivera
🚨 Nottingham Forest still trying for Napoli player
➡️ Changes at #NFFC haven’t impacted interest
🔼 Premier League stay key to successful transferhttps://t.co/f51ZV1MFiv #SSCNapoli
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) March 27, 2026