Defenders Cuiabano & Jair also close to move 

©TM/IMAGO

Brazil, a country synonymous with the beautiful game, continues to be one of the biggest talent factories in world football. In recent years the likes of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo have left South America and lit up European football. Many younger stars are now switching continents as teenagers, as the aforementioned duo did, as Endrick did last summer to Real Madrid, and how Palmeiras’ Estêvão will to Chelsea in July. However, one slightly more seasoned Brazilian could soon swap Rio De Janeiro for Notthinghamshire, with plenty of hype being created around Botafogo striker Igor Jesus. And two of his mates could be joining him.

According to The Athletic, Nottingham Forest are close to agreeing a deal with Brazilian side Botafogo for the triple signing of striker Igor Jesus, left-back Cuiabano, and centre-back Jair Cunha. Arsenal reportedly had a bid rejected for striker Jesus in January, and the Brazil international is a player starting to gather a lot of hype. Thiago Rabelo works for Transfermarkt, and is a renowned Brazilian journalist – he tells us more about Jesus’ path to date: “Jesus was a very interesting surprise in Brazilian football in 2024. As he was transferred very early to Shabab Al-Ahli, many fans didn’t know him too well in the country. He had a very good start to his career for Coritiba in 2020, but was soon sold to Arabian football for €2 million.” So could the next step on Jesus’ unorthodox journey be to the Premier League and what type of player would the English top-flight be gaining?

What type of player is Igor Jesus?

So what attributes could Jesus bring to the Premier League? Rabelo explains more: “Igor Jesus is a centre-forward with very good versatility. He’s not a strong player who only plays all time in the box. He likes to get out wide and is capable of playing on the wings of the pitch for a team-mate to infiltrate the centre.” Hearing that assessment, it is hard not to draw comparisons with another Jesus in the Premier League in Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus, who also likes to drift out wide and build up play.

“It’s hard to say at this moment in time if Igor Jesus has a successful Premier League profile.” Rabelo added. “Although he had a great final half of the year at Botafogo, he needs to show more consistency. He has some qualities to compete in the Premier League – he’s strong, fast and a powerful finisher, he is not a player who stands still waiting for the ball. That’s a good thing and helps him to think bigger in European football.” It’s certainly true that Forest, among other potential Premier League suitors, need to add pace to their strike-force, and Jesus could tick that box.

His journey has been touched upon, but just how did Jesus end up returning to his native Brazil five years after leaving for Asia? “Despite his young age (still just 24), Igor Jesus played five seasons in Arabian football and returned to Brazil in July 2024 because of a Botafogo performance analyst who knew the player from his Curitiba time,” Rabelo explains. Botafogo brought Jesus back to Brazil on a free transfer, but he commands a current market value of €15m. Although, the club are likely to demand more to allow him to leave this summer, “Publicly, Botafogo say they want to receive €30m to sell Igor Jesus, but an offer of €23-25m could be enough for the player to leave Brazil,” Rabelo concluded.

Where Jesus has perhaps caught the eye of the footballing world most in recent times is through his exploits with the Brazilian national team. After making his debut in October, Jesus then started four Brazil internationals in-a-row as no.9. Considering the plethora of attacking talent at the nation’s disposal, that is some feat, and has grown the forward’s reputation massively. “For the Brazilian national team, he played four games. In a few, he showed he could be a very good no.9, scoring a goal against Chile. But he still needs to show a bit more to get in the squad for the 2026 World Cup,” Rabelo revealed. It’s been some impact, but could Jesus shine in the Premier League for Nottingham Forest. Only time will tell, but having some familiar faces join him may help the striker settle in.

What about Cuibano and Jair Cunha?

Forest’s planned dealings with Brazilian Serie A side Botafogo don’t end with Jesus. The Premier League side, who will play in the Europa Conference League next term, are also planning to bolster their squad with two more Brazilians from the same outfit. The 20-year-old defender Jair Cunha is one of the brightest young centre-backs in the division right now, and could now continue his development at the City Ground. He already has a market value of €10m and only signed for Botafogo in the winter window from fellow Brazilian side Santos for €12m. He has played 17 times for his new club, but now could be changing not only leagues, but continents.

The third of the trio expected to swap the Copacabana beach for the River Trent is 22-year-old full-back Cuiabano. He has a current market value of just €4.5m, and has played 51 games for Botafogo, having signed from Gremio for €1.45m in 2024. Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espírito Santo being Portuguese may also aid the transition for the Brazilian trio, with communication likely to be key to their development. It’s rare you see three players trading Christ the Redeemer for the Nottingham Castle, but it certainly could represent an exciting deal for Forest.