Igor Jesus has been at Nottingham Forest for nearly a year and a half, but his agent has now revealed something rather surprising about the transfer.
Apparently, the Brazilian striker never wanted to leave Botafogo in the first place.
Jefferson Batista, who represents the 25-year-old, says they actually asked to stay in Brazil before his move to England in 2025.
He also claims Botafogo still owe the player money and have repeatedly failed to resolve the situation.
The comments come at an interesting time, with Jesus once again attracting attention from Brazilian clubs ahead of January.
Agent explains why Igor Jesus left for Nottingham Forest
In an interview covered by Globo Esporte, Batista offered a very different account of the striker’s departure.
According to him, Jesus was perfectly happy at Botafogo and wanted to continue building his career there.
“When we left Botafogo, which wasn’t what we wanted… I want to make that very clear. I want every Botafogo supporter to know that we asked to stay. At that moment, our request wasn’t accepted. Our intention was to remain.”
“We’ve said everywhere in the world that Igor loves Botafogo, but when it came to our departure, we didn’t get the same response from the administrative side.”
And Batista’s frustration goes well beyond the decision to sell the striker.
“I’m not talking about the supporters. I’m talking specifically about the administrative side. We made that deal, and Botafogo quite simply didn’t pay the player everything he was owed.
“We’ve made several unsuccessful attempts to renegotiate, to try to maintain his connection with Botafogo as an idol. But we haven’t had that same willingness from the administrators, either the previous ones or the current ones, to find some way of resolving things.”
“He’s a player who hasn’t taken legal action against the club because of the love we feel for it and everything we experienced there.”
For context, Jesus played 59 matches for Botafogo, scoring 17 goals and providing six assists. He helped them win the Brazilian league and Copa Libertadores in 2024.
He then joined Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2025, although he stayed with Botafogo for the Club World Cup. His farewell included a famous victory over Paris Saint-Germain, with Jesus scoring the winning goal.
From Botafogo captaincy to a dream Real Madrid transfer
Batista also revealed that he had much bigger plans for Jesus at Botafogo. Following the departures of Thiago Almada and Luiz Henrique, he believed the striker could become one of the central figures in the team’s next chapter. And he wasn’t thinking small.
“If we ever returned, it would have to be for a winning project, one that competes for titles, and where he’s recognised for everything Igor has already achieved.”
“I tell him a lot: football is unpredictable, we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. But let’s make things very clear: Botafogo was our showcase.”
“We believed that, with Almada and Luiz Henrique leaving, we would become a piece of the machinery at Botafogo, helping us achieve our dreams.”
Instead, things took a different direction when Nottingham Forest entered the picture.
“But after the deal was agreed between the presidents of Nottingham Forest and Botafogo, the former CEO John Textor, we understood that we were no longer an interesting piece for the club, and we had to leave.”
“I went to Alessandro Brito [former sporting director] and Deive Bandeira [director of player trading] and said: ‘Guys, renew his contract, give him the captain’s armband, let’s work on his image, especially because of his relationship with the club, and let’s sell him to Real Madrid.'”
It was Batista’s vision of where his client’s career could eventually take him. Instead, the move to Nottingham Forest happened, and the agent clearly hasn’t forgotten how it unfolded.
What this means for Forest and a possible homecoming
All of this comes just days after reports that Jesus was attracting Brazilian enquiries ahead of January.
Nottingham Forest reportedly value the striker at €40m (£33.4m), making a transfer difficult for interested clubs.
Flamengo and Botafogo are among the Brazilian sides believed to have shown interest.
However, Sport Witness also talked to his representatives, and they have ruled out returning to Brazil for now. Their priority is to continue in the Premier League.
There were also strong enquiries from Juventus and Porto during the summer, although neither resulted in a move.
Batista’s interview helps explain the emotional side of the striker’s relationship with Botafogo. It also makes clear that a future reunion isn’t entirely out of the question. For now, though, his plans remain focused on English football.
