Nottingham Forest’s previous pursuit of Danilo has taken another twist. John Textor is now publicly disputing claims that he tried to send the midfielder back to the Premier League club for just €4.6m (£4m).
The allegation has attracted attention. This is because earlier reports in Brazil placed Danilo’s proposed Nottingham Forest valuation at €19m (£16.4m).
Since then, the midfielder has become one of Botafogo’s standout performers, earned a place in Brazil’s latest squad and is expected to be part of the country’s World Cup plans.
Meanwhile, Textor has been banned from Botafogo and left behind mounting financial problems that continue to generate headlines in Brazil.
Against that backdrop, the emergence of a much lower figure has inevitably sparked debate.
Fresh claims emerge over proposed deal
The latest chapter comes from Brazil, where Botafogo’s administration recently presented details of the club’s financial situation following Textor’s departure from control of the club.
According to reports from Fogo na Rede, officials revealed a debt of €32.4m (£28m) owed to Nottingham Forest. This debt was accumulated during Textor’s management.
More notably for Forest supporters, it was claimed that Textor’s proposed solution involved sending Danilo to the City Ground during the first half of 2026 in a deal worth… just €4.6m (£4m).
The move was reportedly blocked by Botafogo’s board before it could be completed.
That immediately stood out because it differs significantly from figures previously linked with the midfielder.
Earlier reports had suggested Danilo was part of negotiations involving a valuation of €19m (£16.4m). However, legal disputes and governance issues at Botafogo brought those discussions to a halt.
At this stage, it remains unclear whether the reports refer to two different proposed transactions or simply conflicting valuations of the same deal.
Danilo’s stock has risen dramatically
When those earlier negotiations surfaced, Danilo was already an important player for Botafogo. Since then, his reputation has grown considerably.
The midfielder has become one of the club’s key performers and recently earned a call-up to Brazil’s national team in the final squad announcement before the World Cup squad is confirmed.
That is a very different profile from a player being discussed in a deal worth €4.6m (£4m). Now, he is being chased by some of the biggest clubs in England. Botafogo is asking for up to €40m (£34m).
Textor issues strong denial
Of course, Textor has responded directly to the allegations. Posting on Instagram, he denied that Danilo was set to be sold to Nottingham Forest for €4.6m (£4m). He also accused Botafogo’s current leadership of misrepresenting the proposal.
He wrote:
“Wake up, everyone. Every day it’s another distorted slander. The transaction being discussed was a sale that would have respected the previous amounts owed, as required by FIFA, with the player remaining at Botafogo.”
“It would then have been followed by a significant injection of cash capital, exactly as has now been proposed by this same organisation.”
“Proof that this would have created significant cash flow for the club. They think you’re fools and will believe anything they say.”
According to Textor, the operation was therefore much more complex than a straightforward transfer fee. It should not be interpreted as a €4.6m (£4m) valuation of the player.
Nottingham Forest are back in the story
As we previously covered, Forest have already signed Igor Jesus and Jair after transactions involving Botafogo. There have also been deals with other clubs within Textor’s network. Danilo has featured repeatedly in discussions between the two clubs.
Textor insists that description is inaccurate. However, the dispute has once again placed Nottingham Forest at the centre of the ongoing fallout from his turbulent final months at Botafogo.
