Igor Jesus’ move to Nottingham Forest is getting closer by the hour, with new updates from Brazil suggesting that a crucial hurdle has been overcome.
Forest have been in advanced talks to sign Jesus since reports broke on late Thursday evening, aided by the fact that Evangelos Marinakis has a good relationship with John Textor, who owns Botafogo.
Botafogo fans weren’t happy with the Jesus news, but they will get to see their star striker for a little while longer, as part of any deal is that he will stay at Botafogo for the Club World Cup.
Talks have continued since Thursday to supply Nuno Espírito Santo with a much-needed additional striker, with the latest update on the Jesus deal looking very positive for Reds fans.
Nottingham Forest closing in on Igor Jesus deal with Botafogo
Amid the excitement, John Textor was expecting more bids for Jesus regardless of where Forest were in the negotiations. However, Marinakis was clearly leading the race for the 24-year-old.
The race may be coming to its conclusion, as according to GE Globo, Forest have agreed a fee with Botafogo to progress the potential deal.
The report said: “Igor Jesus is about to leave Botafogo for Nottingham Forest. The clubs have already reached an understanding regarding the amount, and the negotiation is still a matter of bureaucratic details to be concluded. The current phase is contractual discussions.
“Nottingham Forest made a proposal of 20 million euros (just over R$130 million) and bonuses if targets are met.”
After Liam Delap rejected Forest, Marinakis has managed to find a striker at a fee of just £16.8 million, less than the £30 million release clause in Delap’s Ipswich contract.
If the contract discussions are successful, Forest will gain something with Igor Jesus beyond just his ability on the pitch.
Nottingham Forest-bound Igor Jesus has winning pedigree
Jesus scored on his debut for Brazil against Chile in October, but it is his accomplishments at club level for Botafogo that are particularly impressive.
In 2024, Botafogo won their first Brazilian Serie A title since 1995, finishing ahead of Palmeiras to secure the trophy in a season where Jesus had eight goal contributions in 22 games.
Even more impressive, though, was their triumph in the Copa Libertadores, winning the South American continental trophy for the first time in the club’s history in 2024, having played the majority of the match with ten players.
In a short time at the club, Jesus has been a part of a title-winning campaign and continental success, experience that could hugely benefit the Forest squad as they push to win silverware of their own.
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