Nottingham Forest’s stance on Jair Cunha is becoming clearer. While several Brazilian clubs have explored a move for the defender in recent months, at least one of those approaches appears to became concrete. Even though it hit a wall.
The 20-year-old has become one of the more closely watched Forest fringe players in Brazil.
Flamengo have looked at him. Botafogo explored a reunion. Cruzeiro recently emerged as another admirer. Yet despite limited opportunities in England, there has been little sign that Forest are eager to let him go.
Numbers suggest there is still something to work with
Jair Cunha has played 16 matches with only 1057 minutes this season. Those figures explain why clubs in Brazil believe a loan could be possible.
According to Radar da Bola, São Paulo became the latest club to test the waters.
The Brazilian side sought information on Jair Cunha and evaluated the possibility of a loan move. Forest, however, showed no interest in a deal under those terms.
As a result, discussions never progressed and São Paulo moved on to other defensive targets.
That detail is the most interesting development here. Previous reports focused on Brazilian clubs only asking around. This time, their effort resulted in an indication of Forest’s position.
Youngster’s context
Jair Cunha barely featured during the first half of the campaign, but injuries, rotation and Nottingham Forest’s deep Europa League run opened the door for him. As the fixtures piled up, Vítor Pereira turned to the Brazilian as a squad option.
Forest’s push on multiple fronts gave Jair Cunha an unexpected opportunity. With the club juggling Premier League and Europa League commitments, the young defender went from the fringes of the squad to a useful rotation piece during the busiest period of the season.
The Brazilian did not see many minutes early on. However, Forest’s packed schedule and long Europa League journey created opportunities, allowing Jair Cunha to establish himself as a trusted depth option for several weeks. And that was his wish the whole time.
What happens next
Forest paid around £10.3m (€12m) to sign Jair Cunha from Botafogo after the Club World Cup. Given that investment and his age profile, it would not be surprising if the club still viewed him as a long-term project rather than a player to move on quickly.
Brazilian clubs keep lining up. Forest, though, appear far less willing to open the door than many of them expected.
