Nottingham Forest have beaten Arsenal to the signing of Palmeiras midfielder Danilo, according to The Athletic. The Reds will complete the deal for the player over the weekend, with the 21-year-old due for a medical.
Forest have worked hard over the last 24 hours to get this deal over the line. Several Premier League clubs came forward, with Leeds, Newcastle and the Gunners all interested in the player.
Danilo is a two-time Copa Libertadores winner. Last season he was part of the same Palmeiras team as Gustavo Scarpa and his form helped the club claim another league title.
Arsenal have courted the player heavily since the summer. They were thought to be keen on making a bid but it would appear that Mikel Arteta wants to strengthen other areas of his squad instead.
Last season, Danilo came up against Chelsea in the Club World Cup Final. After that particular game, he told BandNewsFM via Goal, which Blues star inspired him the most.
He said: “Kante is a different player because of what he does on the field; he’ll run, get the ball and come back, he never tires. He is one of the players I watch most at Chelsea and the one who inspires me the most.”
Despite his tender years, Danilo will arrive at Forest with quite a bit of experience to his name. He’s made well over 100 appearances at senior level for Palmeiras and he could be a quality addition.
Forest have beaten Arsenal to signing Danilo and he loves N’Golo Kante
It’s quite telling that Danilo is inspired by Kante. If he’s a quarter of the player that the Frenchman has been in the Premier League then Forest fans could be in for quite a treat.
This looks like a great deal from a Forest perspective. Danilo will sign a long-term contract and landing him for an initial fee of around £16 million looks like quality business.
The proof will of course come in the performance levels. Danilo, 21, however, has his best years ahead of him and in a year or two he could be worth double what Forest are about to pay for him.
Cheikhou Kouyate was injured at the World Cup and he’s proving to be a big loss in the middle of the park. Moving for Danilo makes a lot of sense and supporters will be excited to see him in action.