Crystal Palace and Newcastle United are again in the race for Botafogo midfielder Danilo Santos, but signing him in January could prove expensive.
The Brazilian club have now set a €30m (£26m) asking price for the 24-year-old, who continues to deliver impressive performances.
Palace have already taken a closer look at him in person. And after missing out on him in the summer, Newcastle have also made new enquiries, but there’s competition coming from Italy and Spain.
With January approaching, the two Premier League clubs now have a clearer idea of what it might take to get him.
Newcastle join Crystal Palace in race for Danilo
According to Brazilian outlet RTI Esporte, Newcastle, AS Roma and Real Betis have all made initial enquiries about Danilo Santos.
They also confirmed Crystal Palace are also following his situation, having recently sent Alessandro Brito to watch him against Vasco da Gama. And again: Brito, Palace’s head scout for Latin America, previously worked at Botafogo.
Newcastle’s involvement adds another Premier League club to the picture. But none of the interested sides have submitted an official offer. The report says Botafogo expect further approaches once the January transfer window opens.
Their €30m (£26m) valuation is currently the reference point for any potential deal.
Danilo keeps scoring while Botafogo’s forwards struggle
Meanwhile, Danilo is giving interested clubs even more reasons to watch him. The midfielder scored again on Monday, rescuing a draw against Coritiba. He had already found the net earlier in the match, only for that effort to be ruled out.
Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte highlights how much Botafogo are relying on him, especially with their attacking players struggling for goals.
Danilo has become the team’s main attacking threat despite playing in midfield. He also scored twice in the recent 3-2 victory over Grêmio, helping Botafogo secure three important points.
Across all competitions this season, he has made 37 appearances, scoring 13 goals and providing three assists. That makes him Botafogo’s leading scorer in 2026.
As seen in his World Cup cameos, Danilo Santos regularly pushes forward into the opposition’s penalty area. And even when his teammates began to tire, Danilo continued making runs into dangerous positions.
January could be a busy month
Danilo’s recent involvement with Brazil has also helped raise his profile. He started all three matches during the latest international break, playing 222 minutes in total.
Botafogo know they have a valuable player on their hands. His importance to the team makes the €30m (£26m) asking price understandable, especially given his performances this year.
The next step would be for Palace or Newcastle to turn that interest into an actual proposal.
With Roma and Betis also watching, Botafogo could find themselves dealing with several interested parties in January. And Danilo is doing a pretty good job of keeping his name in the conversation.
