Nottingham Forest might be set to sign Jair Cunha from Botafogo, but another defensive player is on the radar during the summer transfer window.
Cunha stifled Neymar as Botafogo beat Santos 1-0 on Sunday night and along with teammates Igor Jesus and Cuiabano, the three players are set to arrive at the City Ground after the Club World Cup.
Forest will be in the market for a host of new players during the summer transfer window. Quality over quantity will be the order of the day once again, however, with the Reds being more meticulous with their recruitment these days.
Despite two defenders set to check in at the club, another might still be on the radar, with Jaka Bijol linked with a move to Forest for the second summer in succession.
How much Nottingham Forest will need to pay for Jaka Bijol
The Slovenian international is keen to leave Udinese this summer after they finished in 12th place in their Serie A campaign last season, with Forest and Aston Villa both keen on his services.
An Italian agent, Claudio Pasqualin, has been speaking to Messaggero Veneto, and it seems as though he’s all but confirmed that the player will be moving on from Udinese before the summer window is out.
He was asked whether a fee of £21 million would be enough to prise him away this summer, and he’s delivered a response that might just pique the interest of interested parties.
He said: “I would definitely say yes. I do have some reservations about Bijol and I have a few more reservations because the Slovenian has taken a few too many breaks.
“I believe the objective will be achieved, even if not easily, in a short period of time.”
Alan Shearer praises Jaka Bijol
Last summer at Euro 2024, Bijol was in fine form as Slovenia got through to the first knockout round, stifling Cristiano Ronaldo, before eventually losing to a pretty drab Portugal team on penalties.
After that game, Shearer called Bijol ‘outstanding’ for his performance at centre-back for the Slovenian team during the 0-0 draw, and he’s been highly rated for some time now.
Once Cunha checks in, Forest won’t be short of central defenders. Last season, Murillo, Nikola Milenkovic and Morato were the three main choices at the back with Willy Boly acting as cover.
Bijol is far more experienced at this stage than Cunha and perhaps at such a low transfer fee, he’s another central defender who could be worth adding to bolster the team’s strength in depth.
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