Igor Jesus scored two goals in the Club World Cup to showcase his talents – now he’s moving to Nottingham Forest. But the Premier League club is distancing itself from suggesting this was an impulse buy.
He scored the winning goal against the reigning Champions League winners, and now, at the age of 24, he is moving to Europe for the first time: Brazilian international Igor Jesus is joining Nottingham Forest. The club, which finished seventh in the Premier League last season, announced the signing on Saturday. According to media reports, Igor Jesus has signed a contract until 2029. The transfer fee is reported to be around twelve million euros.
The striker had impressed in four appearances for Botafogo in the Club World Cup. He headed home to make it 2-0 in the opening game against Seattle Sounders, before scoring the winning goal against Paris Saint-Germain on the second day of the preliminary round to cause one of the biggest upsets of the new tournament. In the end, Botafogo bowed out in the round of 16 against Brazilian rivals Palmeiras (1-2 after extra time).
Igor Jesus won several titles in Dubai, but Europe is uncharted territory
It was not only coach Renato Paiva’s last game for Botafogo, but also Igor Jesus’. However, Forest insists that this was not an impulse buy based on the Club World Cup. “We have been following Igor for a long time,” said football director Ross Wilson in the official announcement. “Igor is joining a strong and united team, and we are confident that he will integrate well into our group.”
Igor Jesus only moved to Botafogo last summer. He had previously spent almost four years with Shabab Al-Ahli in Dubai, winning numerous titles. When Nottingham made an offer, he “didn’t have to think twice,” said the four-time international (one goal) after signing his first contract in Europe.
He will also get to experience European competition right away. Nottingham, which had long dreamed of playing in the Champions League, ultimately qualified for the Conference League, but can still hope to make it into the Europa League if UEFA denies FA Cup winner Crystal Palace a spot.
