Brighton’s decision to accept a loan for Igor Julio has already got things moving, with the defender now considering a proposal from Germany.
The Seagulls spent much of the summer pushing for a permanent transfer. That approach didn’t bring the offer they wanted, so Brighton have now opened the door to a temporary exit, as we covered last week.
Now according to Brazil’s RTI Esporte, Igor Julio already has a loan proposal from an unnamed German club on the table. What happens with that offer could then have a knock-on effect in Brazil, where several clubs are waiting in the background.
German loan offer on the table
Igor Julio’s camp are currently holding talks in Europe, and the German proposal is under consideration.
RTI Esporte don’t name the club involved. Schalke 04 look like a reasonable possibility, though, given what happened earlier in the window.
They made contact over the Brighton defender and came close to taking him to Germany before the move eventually fell through. There is no confirmation of course, so for now that remains an educated guess.
The report also suggests Igor Julio’s representatives are speaking to other European clubs. That appears to be where the immediate focus is.
If those conversations don’t produce a move, Brazil is very much back on the table. Brighton’s willingness to consider a loan makes that route much easier than it was only a few weeks ago.
Brazilian queue getting longer
The report says Botafogo could return after previously asking about Igor Julio. Their first attempt didn’t get very far because of Brighton’s previous stance, but that particular problem has now disappeared.
There are no advanced talks or agreement with Botafogo at this point. Their next move could depend on what happens with Igor Julio’s options in Europe.
Fluminense and Vasco have also shown interest, according to RTI Esporte. Those are two new names in a Brazilian list which already included Cruzeiro and Palmeiras.
Brighton originally paid Fiorentina around €17m (£14.7m) for Igor Julio in 2023, with bonuses potentially taking the deal to €20m (£17.3m). His current contract runs until next June.
In the end, there is a concrete loan proposal to consider and several Brazilian clubs waiting to see what happens. And he’s eager to leave, as we already know.
If the European options don’t work out, the Seagulls may suddenly have plenty of calls coming from Brazil.
