Brentford are once again facing interest from Brazil for Gustavo Nunes after the winger returned from his loan spell at Swansea City.
The 20-year-old spent the second half of last season in the Championship to gain regular senior football, but the move produced only limited returns. Fair to say he did not make the breakthrough the club had hoped for.
Gustavo made 12 appearances for Swansea, including four starts, and played fewer than 600 minutes in all competitions. His only direct goal contribution came with an assist against Preston North End.
That leaves Brentford with another decision to make this summer as the Brazilian looks to restart his development.
Brazilian interest returns
Cruzeiro have now emerged as the latest club to look at Gustavo’s situation.
According to local outlet Radar da Bola, the Brazilian side have added the winger to their shortlist. The report claims Cruzeiro are considering an approach based on a loan with an option to buy. This approach mirrors the structure discussed for other targets during this window.
At this stage, Gustavo is described as one of several options rather than the club’s only target. Even so, the renewed interest underlines how highly he is still regarded in Brazil despite his difficult spell in England.
Brentford face another decision
Brentford paid around £10.3m (€12m) to sign Gustavo from Grêmio in 2024. They viewed him as a long-term investment rather than an immediate first-team player.
Injuries disrupted his first season, while the Swansea loan failed to provide the sustained run of games that both club and player wanted.
Whether Brentford believe another loan represents the best next step, or decide to keep him closer to the first-team squad this season, remains to be seen.
One thing is already clear, though. As soon as Gustavo returned from Swansea, Brazilian clubs resumed monitoring his situation. Cruzeiro are the latest to test whether Brentford’s stance has softened.