Since Fluminense won the Copa Libertadores at the weekend, club president Mario Bittencourt hasn’t stopped giving interviews and talking about potential upcoming transfers.
One of them is the sale of Nino to Nottingham Forest, as the Tricky Trees are said to be in advanced talks to land the centre-back.
Bittencourt was now interviewed by Charla Podacast, and in quotes brought by ESPN Brasil, he talked a little more about Nino’s desire to move to Europe.
“Nino has been at the club for almost five years. You have to realise that it’s a player’s dream to play in Europe and the club has to understand its role in changing people’s lives. Nino had several offers, some of which he didn’t want to go for, but which were good for Fluminense, like the Arab world.
“It was a good offer for us, but he didn’t want to play there. Then there was an offer from Mexico in December 2021, which was reasonable for us and very good for him. But there’s a piece that belongs to Criciúma, we made an agreement to increase the percentage, but then Criciúma backed out. The guy has been correct and manly with me every time.”
The president explained that there’s already been a request for Nino to stay at the club, and now that they reached their goal, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to hold him again.
“In 2022, he came and said he wanted to leave. We got through the year, things started happening and in September there were enquiries. Fernando Diniz told him he didn’t want him to leave until the end of the Brazilian league and so he stayed. We qualified for the Libertadores, then I went to Nino and said: ‘I need you to stay’. Nino arrived and said he was going to stay for another year, and we have to understand: he’s a defender, he’s 27, he’s already paid for himself.
“So we agreed that any offer that comes in December, we’ll make it. He has a dream of taking his family to Europe, of playing in a big league, if possible in England. I’ve agreed with him and I’m going to fulfil it. Is it a done deal? No. The tendency is for it to be that, but I don’t know. If the guys change their minds and he wants to stay…”
Recent reports from Brazil claimed Nottingham Forest will pay around €7m to get Nino, and they’re just waiting for the contract to be signed.
Fluminense will be playing the Club World Cup in December, and with the club focused on that, there’s a good chance the transfer won’t be confirmed until after that.
The Club World Cup is a very big deal in Brazil, and the club will want to let everyone know they’re only focused on that.
By getting the agreement early, though, Nottingham Forest may be avoiding some competition, as the Libertadores final was full of European scouts.
