Nottingham Forest have reached a verbal agreement to sign Botafogo trio Igor Jesus, Cuiabano and Jair Cunha with reports suggesting that the fee involved for the trio is in the region of €34-40 million (£29-33m). Jesus is a 24-year-old striker, who has scored seven goals and provided one assist in 24 games this season and will rival Chris Wood for his spot upfront.
Jesus played the full 90 minutes on Wednesday night as Botafogo beat Ceara 3-2 in Brazil’s Serie A and afterwards he sent a lengthy message to fans as he expressed his gratitude for their support during his time at the club.
“I'm happy with everything I've done at this club,” the 24-year-old told ESPN Brazil. “It's been a wonderful journey. It was a short time, but it was a success.
“I'm very happy that the fans have recognized me and are celebrating with me. I hope to have a great World Cup, help the club that I love so much and I hope to come back one day to continue my story here.”
It is expected the talented striker will head to the City Ground after the Club World Cup, which concludes on July 13th as Forest attempt to build a side that can compete in both the league and the Conference League next season. Jesus spoke more on how he cannot pass up on the opportunity to prove himself in England’s top division, basically confirming that he will join manager Nuno Espirito Santo’s side in the coming months.
“'I really like this club, it's a club that welcomed me with great affection. The decision I made is yet another dream I have of playing in a major league. The opportunity to play in a major championship like the Premier League comes up, and I can't waste it because we don't know when another opportunity will come along.
“I achieved the goals I had here at Botafogo, winning the Libertadores and the Brazilian Championship, two very important championships. Now I hope to continue my journey in this new challenge in my life. Now I have the opportunity to play for Nottingham and I hope to have a great championship there.”