Nottingham Forest need at least €40m if they are to convince Palmeiras to part ways with midfielder Richard Rios this summer.
That’s according to journalist Jorge Nicola, who reports that the Brazilian side have no intention of sanctioning a low-cost deal.
Reports in the UK this week have stated that Nottingham Forest are lining up a move for Rios once Palmeiras have finished competing in the Club World Cup.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are likely to be busy strengthening their squad this summer after qualifying for the Europa Conference League. The 25-year-old is now on their radar.
Indeed, the Brazilian market is something Nottingham Forest have often shopped in throughout the last few seasons and numerous reports have them doing so again this year.
Whether that leads to a concrete bid for Rios remains to be seen, and Nicola insists they’ll need a big fee to tempt Palmeiras to sell.
“It’s worth remembering that Nottingham Forest is owned by Evangelos Marinakis, the Greek magnate who recently spoke with Palmeiras on behalf of Ramon Sousa,” he said.
“Verdão’s idea was to sign the Paraguayan striker from Nottingham Forest. Everything was agreed between the clubs for a payment of €14m. The deal only didn’t go through because Ramon Sousa insists on playing in England.
“Just to add something about Richard Rios, one of the most talked-about midfielders in South American football. And it’s exactly because of this great demand that Palmeiras dreams of a deal worth up to €40m, a value that is equivalent today to… a fortune.
“Today, Palmeiras has 70% of the economic rights, and there is a real chance of a deal starting in July, especially if the conditions of these €40m are met.”
Now, we would advise Nottingham Forest fans to take this and other reports about Rios with a big pinch of salt for now. Why? Because we have now been reporting on him for a year without anything ever happening.
Our first report goes back to July last year and he’s been linked with almost every Premier League club since then. At one point, Palmeiras were trying to value him at €90m because Manchester United had joined the list.
Rios is a player who regularly dances on the shifting transfer sands without ever getting on the ship to the Premier League, and that makes us sceptical about Nottingham Forest for now, particularly at €40m.
