Palmeiras boss makes big claim about Danilo’s £18m Nottingham Forest move

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Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira has admitted that Nottingham Forest will pay £18 million to take Brazilian midfielder Danilo to the Premier League during the January transfer window, speaking to Lance. 

Whoever said Steve Cooper could not build a consistent, tight-knit and successful team from of an array of summer arrivals larger than the cast of Cats?

Since losing 5-0 at runaway league leaders Arsenal in late-October, Nottingham Forest have lost just twice in all competitions. And one of those two defeats came at the hands of Erik ten Hag’s rampant Manchester United. 

There have been draws with Chelsea and Brentford, and vital wins over relegation rivals Southampton and Leicester City. Saturday’s Brennan Johnson-inspired 2-0 triumph over Midland neighbours Leicester lifted Forest up to the dizzying heights of 13^th; the gap between themselves and the bottom three now standing at five points.

The impending arrival of 21-year-old Danilo, meanwhile, threatens to add an extra layer of protection to an ever-improving backline been breached just once in the last three league outings. 

According to Fabrizio Romano, Danilo should undergo a medical imminently. The two-time Copa Libertadores winner will sign a long-term deal worth around £30,000-a-week (Jorge Nicola). 

Nottingham Forest are close to signing Danilo from Brazilian outfit Palmeira

“Of course, we have to chase reinforcements. But Palmeiras is a responsible club, which has financial goals and sporting goals. The financial goals are practically met. Now, we have to meet the sporting goals as well,” explains Verdao coach Ferreira.  

“They (Nottingham Forest) offered 20 million (euros) to sign Danilo. You pay for quality. Last year, I said that if no one left, no one would arrive. As it turns out, someone of quality has to come in. And quality costs money.”

Danilo, who models himself on N’Golo Kante, averaged 2.1 successful tackles per game in the 2022 Brazilian league season (WhoScored). That is more than every midfielder currently in Cooper’s squad. Danilo was also on the radars of Aston Villa and Wolves, while Arsenal have spent much of the last 12 months keeping tabs on his eye-catching development. 

Cooper, then, will be thrilled by Forest’s latest big-money signing. The former Swansea City boss had been prioritising an all-action defensive midfielder this month. And Danilo’s £30,000-a-week wages will cost Forest a fraction of the fees they’d have had to part with to bring in Abdoulaye Doucoure of Everton or Bournemouth’s Jefferson Lerma.